NIACC women set to compete at Griak Invitational

ST. PAUL, Minn. - The NIACC men's and women's cross country teams are set to run at the 35th annual University of Minnesota Roy Griak Invitational on Friday on the Les Bolstad Golf Course.

The No. 6 (NJCAA Division II) NIACC men will run in the Jo Rider Men's Maroon 8-kilometer race (Division II and Division III) at noon. The No. 7 (NJCAA Division II) NIACC women will run in the Suzy Wilson Women's Maroon 6K Race (Division II and Division III) at 12:45 p.m.

Both NIACC teams will be scored in the Division II races.

The last time NIACC competed at the Griak Invitational was in 2017. The NIACC men placed second in the Division III race with 80 points and the NIACC women placed 12th with 352 points in the Division III race.

On Sept. 3, NIACC's Melvin Kipkemboi placed 14th out of 344 runners at the Augustana Twilight cross country meet in the Trojans' first meet of the 2021 season. Kipkemboi covered the four-mile course in a time of 20 minutes, 13 seconds.

The Trojans placed 13th out of 31 teams with 412 points.

Marcoux was 109th (21:59), Christian Rodriguez was 117th (22:04), Peyton Seiler was 138th (22:20) and Pudens Kipkosgei was 153rd (22:37). Also for the Trojans, Juelsgaard was 160th in 22:41 and Deeter was 325th in 26:34.

For the NIACC women at the Augustana Twilight meet, Sarah Bertry placed 16th out of 329 runners.

Bertry covered the 5-kilometer course in a time of 18 minutes, 50 seconds as the Trojans placed 20th out of 27 teams with 637 points. It was the third time in her collegiate career that Bertry has broken the 19-minute mark in the 5K. In 2020, Bertry ran a career-best 18:26 at the Indian Hills Invitational and placed second at the NJCAA Division II national meet in a time of 18:33.

Also for NIACC on Friday, Lilly Stockberger was 211th in 22:24, Madisyn Heller was 264th in 23:23, Brianna Ross was 266th in 23:24 and Mercy Melly was 296th in 25:01.