Bozeman, Mont. – Carroll College Cross Country opened the 2025 season with top finishes in the Frontier Conference at the Bobcat Twilight Meet on Friday evening.

 

Carroll's men placed 3rd overall and 1st of small schools. Zack Gacnik was the top Carroll and Frontier placer, finishing 14th.  Brycen Gardner, Conrad Schruth, Oliver Morris, and Daniel Koralewski rounded out the scoring 5 for the Saints. The race was Schruth's collegiate debut.

 

The Saints women also placed 3rd  and highest of small schools, knocking off No. 23 Montana Tech. Audrey vanWestrienen made a triumphant return to cross country, placing 12th overall. Three other newcomers scored for the Saints as vanWestrienen was followed by freshmen Annie Emmerich and Ryah O'Dell then transfer Jayna Boonstra. Veteran Madalen Shipman finished out scorers for the women.

 

Multiple Carroll athletes set outright personal records despite the early season race and the high elevation in Bozeman. On the men's side this included Schruth and Wyatt Ehredt. For the women, O'Dell and Amelia Mayes set overall personal bests while Nina Badger and Jayna Boonstra ran collegiate personal records.

 

"It's a big summer of work leading up to this race, so it's fun to see the athletes enjoy being in a competitive setting," said Head Coach Shannon Flynn. "The energy and focus have been great so far this season, and we have a good combination of returners and newcomers that should make it exciting to see how the overall group progresses," she added.

 

Full results are available HERE.

 

The Saints go back to work for several weeks before racing Friday September 19 at the Montana Open in Missoula, Mont.

 

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