Utah State cross country sweeps Sagebrush Invitational

LOGAN, Utah – Utah State cross country kicked off the 2019 season by sweeping the USU-hosted Sagebrush Invitational on Saturday at the Steve and Dona Reeder Cross Country Course. It was the third straight year the Aggie women won the event, while the men earned first-place honors for the first time since 2017.

“Both teams ran well and followed the race plan really well,” said third-year USU head coach Artie Gulden. “They looked strong, won as a team and worked really well together.”

The women placed first with 25 points, finishing ahead of Boise State’s 34 points and UNLV’s 75 points, while the men took first with 22 points, 17 points ahead of Boise State.

Junior Katie Struthers-Haviland finished first among Aggie women competitors in the 5-kilometer run and second overall with a time of 18:29.40.

“We did really well and I absolutely loved being able to see what everyone is capable of,” Struthers-Haviland said. “I love seeing all the hard work we put in all summer pay off. Seeing everyone open and see where everyone’s at is really exciting. Overall, I’m happy to be back, healthy and ready to go.”

On the men’s side, junior J.D. Thorne finished second in the 7-kilometer run with a time of 21:50.34, while sophomore Caleb Garnica captured third-place honors with a time of 21:52.63. This is the second straight season Thorne finished first among Aggie competitors as he earned first-place honors at last year’s Sagebrush Invitational.

“This was a great way to open the season for our team and for me,” Garnica said. “We stayed as a pack, worked hard together, pushed each other and were all committed to the pack. I came into this race relaxed and ready to compete. I did a lot of good training in the summer and knew my body was ready. This was an awesome race for our team and I can’t wait to see how the season pans out for us.”

In the women’s race, Utah State freshman Bailey Brinkerhoff claimed third with a time of 18:33.54, while fellow freshmen Abby Jensen (19:03.81) and Taylor Smart (19:05.86) took sixth and eighth, respectively. Rounding out the Aggies in the top 10 was sophomore Madison Taylor, who ran a 19:19.33 for 10th place.

Other top-10 finishers on the men’s side included junior Jakob Tew, who came in fourth with a time of 21:53.26, while sophomore Roberto Porras (7th, 22:19.49), freshman Bridger Altice (8th, 22:19.77) and sophomore Devin Pancake (10th, 22:29.06) rounded out the top 10.

Utah State is back in action in two weeks at the Montana State Invitational in Bozeman, Mont., on Saturday, Sept. 21.

Fans can follow the Utah State track & field and cross country programs at twitter.com/USUTF_XC, on Facebook at USUTrack and on Instagram at instagram.com/USUTF_XC. Aggie fans can also follow the Utah State athletic program at twitter.com/USUAthletics or on Facebook at Utah State University Athletics.

SAGEBRUSH INVITATIONAL | August 31, 2019 | Logan, Utah

Women’s Team Results:
1. UTAH STATE 25
2. Boise State 34

3. UNLV 75

Women’s Top-Five Finishers: 1. Yukino Parle (BSU) – 18:24.84; 2. Katie Struthers-Haviland (USU) – 18: 29.40; 3. Bailey Brinkerhoff (USU) – 18:33.54; 4. Sailor Hutton (BSU) – 18:49.67; 5. Reagan Hoopes (Unattached) – 18:58.38.

Utah State Women’s Results: 2. Katie Struthers-Haviland – 18: 29.40; 3. Bailey Brinkerhoff – 18:33.54; 6. Abby Jensen – 19:03.81; 8. Taylor Smart – 19:05.86; 9. Samantha Nelson – 19:11.35; 10. Madison Taylor – 19:19.33; 11. LeAnn Larkin – 19:30.44; 12. Megan Terry – 19:31.96; 14. Karlie Callahan – 19:35.66; 17. Madi Hess – 19:47.43; 18. Ali Bybee – 20:00.24; 20. Hannah Dutson – 20:04.64; 24. Rae Bedke – 21:16.70.

Men’s Team Results:
1. UTAH STATE 22

2. Boise State 39

Men’s Top-Five Finishers: 1. Henry Mong (BSU) – 21:46.49; 2. J.D. Thorne (USU) – 21:50.34; 3. Caleb Garnica (USU) – 21:52.63; 4. Jakob Tew (USU) – 21:53.26; 5. Logan Ress (BSU) – 21:56.19

Utah State Men’s Results: 2. J.D. Thorne – 21:50.34; 3. Caleb Garnica – 21:52.63; 4. Jakob Tew – 21:53.26; 6. Max Wehrli – 22:00.30; 7. Roberto Porras – 22:19.49; 8. Bridger Altice – 22:19. 77; 10. Devin Pancake – 22:29.06; 11. Sam Clausnitzer – 22:31.23; 12. Mark Crandall – 22:32.56; 15. Spencer Stutz – 22:40. 30.

Free News Delivery by Email

Would you like to have the day's news stories delivered right to your inbox every evening? Enter your email below to start!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

For security, use of Google's reCAPTCHA service is required which is subject to the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.

I agree to these terms.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.