COLFAX, Wis. - The Saint Mary's women's and men's Cross Country teams put on a strong showing at the Eau Claire Blugold Invitational, despite intense heat that forced the race to be moved earlier to avoid dangerous conditions.

The race served as a preview for their regional meet, which will take place on the same course on November 15th. 

The gun went off for the men's race at 9:30am, moved from the original 4:30pm start time. 

The men, who all braved the blaring sun, were led by junior Isaiah Fitzgerald, who finished the 8K race in 27:26 to finish 143rd out of the 334 runners. Senior Grant Schneider followed just a short ways behind, with a time of 27:52 to a 170th place finish. 

Sophomore Sam Grywacz was the third Cardinal to cross the line in 29:12 in 234th. 

All but one of the men's runners improved on their 8K times from three weeks ago at Hamline. The team placed 26th overall, finishing ahead of three other conference teams.

The women's race began at 10:15 a.m., moved up from its original 5:15 p.m. start time. As usual, Mya Slavin led the way for the Saint Mary's women, finishing the 6K in 23:10 to place 26th out of a crowded field of 347 runners.

Another impressive showing was made by senior Kendra Schneider, who tied her personal best time despite the tough conditions with a time of 24:48, which earned her a finish of 146th place. 

Freshman Susan Bergeman was next across the line, with her 26:13 time earning her a 229th place finish. 

The women's team finished 28th.

To close out the day on a high note, assistant distance coach Jacob Gregory competed in the men's open 8K. Gregory described himself as "in shambles" during the race but he pushed through to earn an impressive 53rd-place finish out of 208 runners.

In two weeks, the Cardinal runners will return to competition in Illinois at the Augustana College Interregional Invitational, set for Saturday, October 14, with an 11:00 a.m. start time.