SAN DIEGO, Calif. – Six current and former Utah State cross country runners competed at the USATF Cross Country Championships, held Saturday afternoon at Mission Bay Park.
Six current USU student-athletes competed in the junior division of the event, including four Aggie women, while former Utah State nine-time all-American Dillon Maggard and James Withers, a senior on last year’s team, ran in the men’s senior division.
“We had a really good day,” said third-year USU head coach Artie Gulden. “It started off well with two girls medaling in the junior women’s race. Bridger (Altice) getting third place was fantastic. He fought really hard. Dillon and James both raced really well in the senior men’s.”
Maggard, who graduated from USU in 2018 and recently rejoined the track & field and cross country programs as a volunteer assistant coach, placed fourth in a stacked field of 68 runners in the senior men’s 10-kilometer race. He finished with a time of 31:07.4. Withers placed 21st in the senior division with a time of 32:59.5.
In the women’s junior division six-kilometer race, freshman Bailey Brinkerhoff was the top USU finisher, placing fourth overall with a time of 23:17.6. Fellow Aggie freshman Karlie Callahan placed eighth with a time of 24:04.0, then came the freshman duo of Reagan Hoopes (24:39.7) and Megan Terry (24:45.0) in 12th and 13th places, respectively.
Freshman Bridger Altice was the lone Aggie in the men’s junior 8-kilometer race, finishing third in a field of 23 runners with a time of 26:38.24.
With their finishes at this meet, Maggard, Brinkerhoff and Altice qualified to compete at the Pan American Cross Country Cup, which will be held Saturday, Feb. 29 in Victoria, B.C., Canada.
“Dillon and Bailey will get to wear the USA uniform at the Pan Am Championships, which is a very special thing,” Gulden said. “Unfortunately, Bridger doesn’t have a passport, so he won’t be able to go, even though he did qualify.”
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USATF Cross Country Championships
January 18, 2020
San Diego, Calif.
Women’s Junior 6K Top-Five Finishers:
1. Brooke Rauber (Homer, N.Y.) – 22:11.0; 2. Rayna Stanziano (St. Mary’s) – 22:47.6; 3. Kalea Bartolotto (Northwestern) – 23:09.5; 4. Bailey Brinkerhoff (USU) – 23:17.6; 5. Sophia McDonnell (Bradley) – 23:22.3
Utah State Women’s Junior 6K Finishers: ; 4. Bailey Brinkerhoff – 23:17.61; 8. Karlie Callahan – 24:04.0; 12. Reagan Hoopes – 24:39.7; 13. Megan Terry – 24:45.0
Men’s Junior 8K Top-Five Finishers:
1. Corey Gorgas (Northern Arizona) – 25:44.8; 2. Evan Bishop (East Grand Rapids, Mich.) – 26:21.6; 3. Bridger Altice (USU) – 26:38.2; 4. Alex Comerford (Syracuse) – 26:40.7; 5. Gave Simonsen (Mustang, Okla.) – 27:14.8
Utah State Men’s Junior 8K Finishers:
3. Bridger Altice – 26:38.24