Results
West Salem, Wis. - The University of Wisconsin-La Crosse men's cross country team, ranked first on this week's U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) NCAA Division III Poll, captured the Jim Drews Invitational Saturday afternoon at Maple Grove Venues, LLC. It is the Eagles' 13th Drews title in school history, including fifth straight.
UWL finished with 23 team points while MSOE (Wis.) was second with 65 and South Dakota State University third with 101. A total of 19 teams competed.
Grant Matthai (left) and Elias Ritzke
The Eagles had eight of the top-12 finishers on Saturday with
Grant Matthai leading UWL with a second-place finish as he completed the 8,000-meter race in 24:59.9. The Eagles'
Elias Ritzke was third (25:00.0) while
Jayden Zywicki placed fifth (25:12.3),
Joey Sullivan sixth (25:12.7),
Will Aurit seventh (25:12.9),
Chris Wolfe 10th (25:22.7),
Corey Fairchild 11th (25:31.8) and
Logan Salzmann 12th (25:32.2).
Four other runners placed in the top-30 for UWL.
Aidan Manning finished 16th (25:40.7),
Ben Stangel 23rd (25:53.3),
Adam Loenser 24th (25:54.3) and
Logan Bell 28th (26:04.4).
Parker Heintz finished 31st (26:09.0) with
Owen Clark 37th (26:19.6),
Charles Vater 38th (26:20.0),
Thomas Menefee 40th (26:21.1),
Mason Brown 41st (26:21.1) and
Austin True 46th (26:27.3).
Nash Merklein placed 52nd (26:35.8),
Mitch Garcia 55th (26:39.9),
Luke Chaffin 59th (26:44.7),
Kade Layton 60th (26:45.7),
Chase Altergott 78th (27:14.2) and
Zach Slevin 104th (27:43.2).
UWL had eight of the top-12 finishers.
A total of 277 runners completed the race.
UWL returns to action Friday, October 25 at the Luther College (Iowa) Dual at 5:15 p.m.
