Yellowjacket Runners Face Fast Competition Saturday in Colorado

BILLINGS, MT – The Montana State-Billings cross-country teams will face their toughest competition of the year on Saturday when they run at the annual Rocky Mountain Shootout hosted by University of Colorado, the defending Big XII champions for both men and women.

The Yellowjackets will face several teams from both Division I and Division II.  The Shootout is one of the longest running collegiate cross-country races in the country.  There will be four races with a men’s open 8K, a women’s open 5.8 K, a men’s collegiate 8K and a women’s collegiate 5K.

The Lady Yellowjackets have been led by a pair of newcomers.  Senior Heidi Robertson (Great Falls, MT) has been the women’s top finisher in all three races this year.  The former soccer player finished eleventh last week at Black Hills State, covering the 4K course in 16:34. 

Junior transfer Sara Lord (Billings, MT) was close behind Robertson in fourteenth place with a time of 16:55.  Lord has been the Jackets’ No. 2 runner in the past two races.  Senior Chelsea Lynnes (Miles City, MT) finished 26^th at Black Hills in 17:29.

The Yellowjacket men were led by Sam Hartpence (Custer, SD) at Black Hills.  The sophomore finished the 6.4K course in 24:31 for 34^th place.  Scott Brown (Sr., Billings, MT) finished in 36^th place with a time of 25:12, and Ryan Archibald was in 39^th place in 25:18.

Following the Shootout, the Yellowjackets have a bye week before hosting the Pacific West Conference Championships on October 23.  BYU-Hawaii, Chaminade, Hawaii Pacific, Hawaii-Hilo and Western New Mexico will all travel to Billings to run the championship races at Riverfront Park.