LEWISTON, Idaho - Senior Macie Gale (pictured) crushed her personal record and came in third-place overall, helping to guide the NCU women’s cross country team to another victory, winning the Non-Division I title that eluded them at the Inland Empire Classic in 2015.
The Beacons scored 20 points as a team, easily taking care of the University of Calgary (55) who won this meet last season to hand the NAIA champs their only defeat of the campaign. No. 10 Lewis-Clark State was third with 84 points. Eastern Oregon was fifth, scoring 116.
Senior Sierra Brown led the Beacons once again, taking second place with a time of 17:09, the third-fastest time in school history and just 11 second behind the record that she and Alyssa Harmon both set on this course last season.
Gale was next across the line in 17:34, landing in the NCU all-time top-ten and at the same time shaving 47 seconds off of her previous best race.
Sophomore Anna Brooks did something very similar to Gale, coming in fourth in a time of 17:45. It was her best race as well, clearing her previous PR by 17 seconds.
Junior Rosa Schmidt finished sixth for the Beacons (17:52) and Michelle Fletcher was seventh (17:55) as the Beacon scorers finished 2-6 among collegiate runners.
Gale and Brooks were joined by four other Beacons who hit personal records. Cassandra Brownell ran an 18:59 to take 25th place while Anika Rasubala matched her own PR at 19:17 to finish 27th. Madeleine Rosebrook also hit a personal best (21:05) as did Megan O’Neil (21:46).
Also running for the Beacons were Melissa Rios (18:57, 23rd), Emily Moon (19:42, 36th) and Natalie Kogutkiewicz (19:57, 42nd).
The Beacons will now head for the CCC Championships on November 5 in Salem.