MONMOUTH, Ore. – A total of 11 runners from the Montana State University Billings cross country team ran personal bests on Saturday at Ash Creek Preserve, highlighting the team's performance at the 2022 Great Northwest Athletic Conference Championships hosted by Western Oregon University.
 
The 'Jacket men took sixth place among the 10 teams competing, while the MSUB women finished in eighth place. "Both teams ran well, and times were fast across the board today," said MSUB head coach Jonathan Woehl. "Our seniors all had strong showings, and they have been vital to our team's improvement during their time at MSUB. We are looking forward to being back home for regionals and to having a strong showing."
 
Leading the Yellowjacket men was senior Ase Ackerman, who took 15th place with a time of 24:49.6 minutes in his final GNAC Championship event. Fellow senior Logan Straus checked in at 26th, posting a time of 25:19.3 minutes. That time bettered his previous PR of 25:36.5 minutes by just over 17 full seconds. "Ase wasn't feeling the greatest, but still managed to finish in the top-20," said Woehl. "Our guys behind him kept improving, and it was good to see PRs from Logan, Bryant, Wyatt, and Jordi."
 
Competing in his final GNAC Championships was Bryant Edgerton, who took 38th place with a time of 25:53.9 minutes. Saturday was his first sub-26 minute 8k race, as he topped his collegiate PR of 26:18.7 minutes. Wyatt May also ran his best time of the season, checking in with a mark of 26:20.9 minutes to take 45th place.
 
Jordi Peiro's PR came with a time of 27:38.6 minutes, as he wound up in 58th place. His previous collegiate best was a mark of 27:55.3 minutes which he set on Oct. 22 in Seattle. Rounding out the field of competitors for the Yellowjacket men was Jackson Bailey, who took 75th place with a time of 29:37.9 minutes.
 
Kailee Stoppel was MSUB's top finisher, running a personal-best time of 22:31.3 minutes in the final championship race of her career. Stoppel topped her previous best of 22:49.4 minutes, which she ran a year ago at the 2021 GNAC Championships. "Kailee moved up throughout the entire race and nearly finished in the top-20," Woehl said. "The rest packed it up and ran well together, and improved tremendously from pre-nationals."
 
Behind Stoppel was a group of five Yellowjackets who all finished within seven spots of one another in the middle of the pack. Senior Ally Whitmer ran a time of 24:08.6 minutes, also posting a PR on Saturday on her way to a 53rd-place finish. Whitmer's previous best time in the 6k was 24:17.2 minutes, which she ran at the 2021 NCAA West Region Championships last fall.
 
Freshman Carey Berendsen was right behind Whitmer in 54th place, running a time of 24:09.9 minutes. It was her best 6k time of the season, as she showed marked improvement over a 24:39.4 minutes which she ran on Oct. 22 in Seattle. Alahna Lien crossed the line next, taking 55th place with a time of 24:12.7 minutes. Saturday was Lien's first collegiate 6k race.
 
Also with a good showing on Saturday was freshman Kaylee Dalling, who took 57th place with a time of 24:20.4 minutes. Dalling's previous season best time was 24:34.5 minutes, which she set on Oct. 22 in Seattle. In 60th place was Madeline Severson, who posted a time of 24:26.0. Severson's pervious season best also came in Seattle, where she ran a time of 25:00.5 minutes.
 
Aspen Tolman checked in at 69th place, running a time of 25:07.8 minutes to better her PR by 32 seconds. Also competing for MSUB was Kit Wiersema, who finished in 75th place with a time of 26:08.1 minutes.
 
Kendall Kramer of Alaska Fairbanks won the race by 0.10 seconds ahead of teammate Naomi Bailey, with the former posting a time of 20:37.0 minutes among a field of 82 competitors. Western Washington University claimed the team title with 64 points, holding off second-place Saint Martin's by 14 points.
 
On the men's side, Cole Nash of Alaska Anchorage claimed the title with a time of 23:46.2 minutes to top a field of 77 runners. Western Washington's men's team placed five runners in the top-10 to claim the team title.
 
THE BUZZ: Ackerman and Stoppel were named the St. Vincent Healthcare Runners of the Day, each leading the team in the final conference meet of their careers.
 
NEXT UP: The Yellowjackets are set to host the NCAA D2 West Region Championships, which are scheduled for Nov. 19 at Amend Park in Billings.