GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. - The College of Idaho women won the Maroon Division title at the NAIA Great Lakes Challenge on Saturday, scoring 48 points to beat 19 teams at Riverside Park. The CI men placed third of 22 teams with 126 points.
The women put all five scorers in the top 17 and won by 39 points over Cornerstone (87). St. Francis (Ill.) was third with 93, followed by Grace (142) and Indiana Wesleyan (146). CI's top-five time of 1:30:23.3 was the fastest in the field by 40 seconds.
Senior Kylee Quinton led the way, finishing second in 17:43.5 over the 5K course. Taylor's Jaynie Halterman won the race in 17:29.0. Freshman Talia Bonville was fifth in 18:00.2, and sophomore Paiten Braseth was ninth in 18:09.5.
Seniors Rozzlyn Cazier (18:14.7) and Julia Gilbert (18:15.5) completed the scoring in 15th and 17th. Sophomore Josie Patton was 25th in 18:19.3, giving CI six runners in the top 25, and freshman Josie Roy placed 42nd in 18:35.5. Senior Kiely Munson (61st) and sophomores Ainsley Bowen (65th) and Cadence Mitchell (66th) also ran for the Yotes.
On the men's side, Madonna won the team title with 32 points, putting all five scorers among the top 13. Marian (Ind.) was second with 117, nine points ahead of CI.
The Yotes got there on depth. Sophomore Everett Metier led CI in 15th place in 24:38.3 over 8K, and senior Oclan Ryan followed in 20th at 24:45.8. Freshman Emiliano Diaz-Garcia and senior Elmer Olaco-Castillo crossed a tenth of a second apart in 27th and 28th, and freshman Austin Riley closed out the scoring in 36th at 25:05.2.
Junior Isaac Anttonen (39th) and sophomore Matt Wilde (40th) were within 1.3 seconds of Riley, putting seven Yotes inside the top 40. CI's 1-5 spread of 26.9 seconds was second tightest among the top 10 teams, behind only Madonna.
The difference for second came up front. Marian's Tristan Trevino (third) and Charles Leedke (sixth) gave the Greyhounds a 26-point edge over CI's top two. The Yotes won back 17 of those points over the next three scoring spots.
Goshen freshman Jesse Songo won the men's race in 24:07.1, 2.2 seconds ahead of Madonna's Mehdi Nait Hamoud.
