NORTHFIELD, Minn. – The UW-River Falls men's and women's cross country teams returned to action Saturday at the 55th annual St. Olaf Invitational, competing on the St. Olaf Championship Course in Northfield, Minn. The Falcon men placed third overall while the women finished fourth this afternoon with several Falcons recording personal-best performances throughout the day. The meet featured the women's 6K and men's 8K on the same course that will host the future NCAA North Region Championships later this season.
On the men's side,
Ryan Pierson led the Falcons with a 10th-place finish, completing the 8k in 25:48.0. Pierson cut more than a minute off his season-opening time of 27:01.7 from the River Town Invitational.
Jack Richter followed closely behind, crossing the finish line in 13th place with a time of 25:51.6, while
Wyatt Johnson gave UWRF three runners inside the top 15, placing 15th in 25:53.3.
Alex Pazdernik rounded out a strong group near the front of the field, finishing 30th overall in 26:17.7.
Levi Miest completed the Falcons' five listed finishers, taking 84th in 27:28.2.
The Falcon women were led by
Laina Viere, who continued her strong start to the season with a fifth-place finish in 22:56.5, improving from her 24:41.9 performance at the River Town Invitational.
Adison Wilde was UWRF's second finisher, taking 15th overall in 23:24.7, followed by
Emma Karnitz, placing 30th in 23:51.3.
Claire Story crossed the line in 37th at 24:00.9, while
Alyssa Hagen rounded out the Falcons' top five with a 73rd-place finish in 25:01.4.
UWRF returns to action in Northfield on Saturday, Oct. 3, competing at the Carleton Running of the Cows at the Bill Huyck Cross Country Course. The women's race is scheduled for 10 a.m., while the men are set to compete at noon.
