DILLON — Becca Richtman started the 2021 cross country season just like she finished the 2020 campaign.
The Montana Tech runner topped the women’s field at the Frontier Conference Preview Meet Monday at the Beaverhead Golf Course. (Results)
Oredigger River Sheppard placed third in the men’s race.
Richtman ran the 5-kilomter course in 18 minutes, 43 seconds for a sizeable win. Sydney Little Light of Rocky Mountain College placed second at 19:12, and Reghan Worley of Carroll College placed third in 19:22.
Montana Western’s Eireann O’Connor placed fourth in 19:42, one second ahead of Tech’s Averie Parker.
Butte High graduate Hailey Nielson placed eighth overall, finishing in 20:23.
Carroll scored 35 points to win the women’s team title. Tech placed second at 42. Rocky was third at 71, and Montana Western placed fourth at 95. Montana Western and the University of Providence did not have enough runners for a team score.
Also running and scoring points for the Orediggers were Lexi Ladoux (21:27), Carlin Manning (21:49), Madison Kelly (21:50.80) and Abby Hoffman (21:50.90).
Rocky runners Jackson Wilson and Jackson Duffey placed 1-2 to in the men’s 8-kilometer race. Wilson won with a time of 26:48, while Duffey crossed in 27:32.
Sheppard placed third in 27:55, finishing two seconds ahead of MSU-Northern’s Field Soosloff.
Western’s Jesse McMurtrey placed seventh at 28:19, and Oredigger Justin Morgan placed 10th at 28:27.
With 37 points, Carroll won the team title. Tech took second at 56, followed y Rocky at 59 and Northern at 77.
Also running for the Orediggers were Trystan Brewer (28:59), Connor Aikins (29:03), Jon Hansen (29:23), Brendan Hessel (31:10), and Seth Trumm (32:12).
Next up for the Oredigger runners is the Montana Open, which is Sept. 24 in Missoula.
