SPEARFISH, S.D. – With their second victory in a row, the MSU Billings women's cross country team placed first at the Yellow Jacket Invite hosted by Black Hills State University. MSUB swept the first four places in the women's race to win the meet by 33 points.
 
Nocona Frame won her second consecutive event this season as she crossed the finish line in 20:01.53 to take the title at the 2014 BHSU Early Bird Cross Country Meet at the Spearfish Canyon Country Club Saturday morning.
 
Hot on her heels in second was younger sister Rio Frame who crossed the tape in 20:04.92. Renae Hepfner was third (20:13.25) and Jinise Osborne fourth (20:44.86) as the Yellowjackets took the top four spots in the women's 5k. Running a close fifth for MSUB and finishing seventh in the race was Melanie Bock in 21:03.01.
 
During the women's race, it was Rio  Frame and Renae Hepfner who went straight to the front for the first mile. Nocona  Frame joined them for the next mile as the three used some pack running to continue to lead the race. Nocona  Frame and Hepfner began to pull away from Rio  Frame as the race continued, but Rio  Frame caught up to Hepfner with 1,000 meters left in the race as four Yellowjackets swarmed toward the finish line.
 
"Renae and I really pushed each other to the finish," Rio  Frame said. "We really helped each other down the stretch and I happened to be the one to cross the finish line in second behind Nocona.
 
"I think it's a confidence booster for the whole team," Rio  Frame continued.  "We knew it was going to be a smaller event, and most of us are fighting a cold right now, but to be able to fight through all of that will really help us going forward."
 
"The women ran really well, and swept those first four places," MSUB head coach Dave Coppock said. "Nocona seemed to run well and the other women ran well too. Everyone really stepped up their times this week."
 
Unattached runner Mary Owen (a former MSUB Yellowjacket) was fifth overall, and Becca Ellis from BHSU was sixth and the top non-MSUB runner in the women's event.
 
Behind MSUB's total of 16 points, Black Hills State ended the competition with 49 points and Gillette College was third with 74 points.
 
Robert Peterson was the top finisher for the MSUB men's team. Peterson crossed the tape in 26:18.44 behind unattached runner Mitch Kraft. Second for MSU Billings, sophomore Garrett Love was seventh overall in 27:46.09. Also scoring for the team were Josh Panasuk (10th, 28:17.64), Liam McKay (13^th, 28:41.12), and Mark Hovland (24^th, 30:33.69).
 
This is the first time Love has placed second for the team this season, and the first time freshman McKay has been a scoring factor for the Yellowjackets.
 
"I knew it was going to be close," Coppock said on the men's results. "Robert Peterson did well. He finished second overall, but the team trained hard this week, and I think he is running well right now regardless. Liam McKay also really helped us out, he moved up quite a bit today. I think as a team the men are starting to move up a little too. To only lose by one point to a team that was regionally ranked this season shows that our team is really pulling together."
 
Black Hills State's top-runner was Alec Baldwin who finished third in the race. The Yellow Jackets were ranked 10th in the South Central regional rankings two weeks ago.
 
Close behind MSU Billings was Gillette College which ended up with 47 points to take third in the team rankings, and Central Wyoming College with 94 points to finish fourth.
 
"I am pretty happy with our progress," Coppock said. "I think when conference rolls around in two weeks, we will be in good shape."
 
"I know in the next few weeks we will work on getting everyone healthy," Rio  Frame said on the team's upcoming trainings sessions. "We also want to have some fun, and to be able to push through the last part of the season. Everyone wants to keep getting better every week.
 
"For this race I learned to trust myself a lot more," Rio Frame said on being able to work together and to place second individually. "Our staff has helped a lot, and I think it allowed myself to mentally return to racing. I am really looking forward to conference and to see what our team can accomplish there."
 
NEXT UP: The Yellowjackets have two weeks off from competition before heading to the Great Northwest Athletic Conference Championships in Monmouth, Ore. The Western Oregon hosted event takes place Nov. 1 at the Ash Creek Preserve. Following the conference event is the NCAA Div. II west region championship on Nov. 22 which for the first time will be hosted by Montana State University Billings. For more information on upcoming events please visit msubsports.com.
 
MSU Billings Women Top-5
1 Frame, Nocona, 20:01.53
2 Frame, Rio, 20:04.92
3 Hepfner, Renae, 20:13.25
4 Osborne, Jinise, 20:44.86
7 Bock, Melanie, 21:03.01
 
MSU Billings Men Top-5
2 Peterson, Robert, 26:18.44
7 Love, Garrett, 27:46.09
10 Panasuk, Josh, 28:17.64
13 McKay, Liam, 28:41.12
24 Hovland, Mark, 30:33.69
 
Team Scores
Women's 5k
Rank Team Total 1 2 3 4 5 *6 *7 *8 *9
1 MSU Billings 16 1 2 3 4 6 7 9
Total Time: 1:42:07.57
Average: 20:25.52
2 Black Hills St. 49 5 8 10 11 15 16
Total Time: 1:48:32.98
Average: 21:42.60
3 Gillette College 74 12 13 14 17 18
Total Time: 1:54:17.73
Average: 22:51.55
 
Team Scores
Men's 8k
Rank Team Total 1 2 3 4 5 *6 *7 *8 *9
1 Black Hills St. 44 2 7 10 12 13 15 16
Total Time: 2:21:23.81
Average: 28:16.77
2 Msu-Billings 45 1 6 8 11 19 20
Total Time: 2:21:36.98
Average: 28:19.40
3 Gillette College 47 3 4 9 14 17 21 23
Total Time: 2:22:28.12
Average: 28:29.63
4 Central Wyoming College 94 5 18 22 24 25 26
Total Time: 2:37:49.75
Average: 31:33.95