SPEARFISH, S.D. – Running cross country for the first time in 678 days, the Montana State University Billings women's cross country placed first as a team, plus Ase Ackerman won the men's 6K at Black Hills State University's Gage McSpadden Memorial Invite on Friday.
 
"For Ase to get his first win has to be a really good confidence boost for him as we start getting into bigger races," MSUB head cross country coach Jonathan Woehl said. "Time really wasn't that important today, but Kailee ran really well too. That was a really good time on a very hard course. She got a good confidence boost from today as well."
 
The women's team outscored South Dakota Mines 25-32 to win the team title, thanks to putting three runners in the top 10 and its fourth through eighth runners finish one minute and nine seconds apart. Kailee Stoppel led the way for the women by traversing the hilly five-kilometer course in a 19:56.11 – good for second place. Ally Whitmer followed in third, then Madisan Chavez (7^th), Kylee Halpin (13^th) and Abbi Zent (14^th) rounded out the scorers for MSUB.
 
"Ally closed really well," Woehl said of Whitmer's MSUB cross country debut. "She moved up from fifth to third in the last loop and pass one of the BH runners and she had a good race. Madi ran pretty well too, especially considering she will run a triathlon in two days."
 
Although the men's team didn't have enough runners to place as a team, Ackerman's strong second half, plus Jordi Peiro's solid debut after over two years away from the sport highlighted the evening. Jackson Bailey rounded out the men's team by placing 24^th.
 
"Although we didn't have a full men's team, that was the first time Jordi ran since fall 2019," Woehl said. "He didn't have a senior track season, or races last year, so it was good to have him racing again."
 
THE RUNDOWN:

• Ackerman's win gave him St. Vincent Healthcare Runner of the Day honors for the men's team.
• On the women's side, Stoppel earned St. Vincent Healthcare Runner of the Day honors for the women's team. Her second-place finish was the best of her collegiate cross-country career.
• In her MSUB XC debut, Ally Whitmer ran a 20:51.56.
• Less than 48 hours before competing in the Oktoberfest Triathlon, Madisan Chavez worked her way up throughout the race to finish in a 22:00.63.

 
UP NEXT: The Yellowjackets will travel to the University of Montana's Montana Open at Sept. 24. The men will run a 7K at 4 p.m., then the women's 5K will follow at 4:45 p.m.