UM's Frissell 10th in Big Sky cross country

Polson star distance runner Beatrix Frissell earned a top 10 finish Saturday at the Big Sky Championships in Greeley, Colorado.

Also, senior June Eastwood finished eighth.

Both earned All-Big Sky honors for their finishes, the first time the Grizzlies have had two top-10 finishers since 2010.

“I was hoping for top-10 finishes, and that’s where they ended up,” said first-year coach Clint May.

“Bea had to move up maybe five places over the final mile. June was pretty much between seventh and ninth place from maybe a half mile on.”

The Montana women finished sixth, with Eastwood (18:25) and Frissell (18:39) the only Grizzlies in the top 35. The men’s team finished 11th. No Grizzlies cracked the top 50.

Northern Arizona, as expected, swept the women’s and men’s team titles. Idaho and Southern Utah finished second and third in the women’s race, Weber State and Montana State in the men’s race.

The Greeley area received eight inches of snow earlier in the week, and what was left of the storm dictated the conservative nature of the races.

Only a vehicle-wide path of grass was available on the course and it was highly desirable location. Once runners made their way to semi-decent footing, not much movement took place within the field.

“The conditions were tough, but they were tough for everybody,” said May. “We knew yesterday when we previewed the course that it would be sloppy and slow on corners.

“Everybody was trying to get to those two tracks. If you wanted to go around somebody, you had to go out into the snow. It stifled a lot of movement.”

Montana will conclude its season on Friday, Nov. 15, at the NCAA Mountain Regional in Salt Lake City.