COLCHESTER, Vt. - Saint Michael's College men's cross country senior Braden Butler (South Berwick, Maine/Marshwood) won the Purple Knights' fourth annual Equality Invitational on Saturday, while junior Fran Peterson (Barron, Wis./Barron) and sophomore Jersey Miller (Minneapolis, Minn./Saint Louis Park) went two-three in the women's race. The Saint Michael's men and women hosted the unique 8K races for all genders, which features one of only two known 8Ks for women in NCAA cross country, and the longest-running.
 
TEAM RESULTS

• Both Saint Michael's teams finished second to the Division I University of Vermont. On the men's side, the Purple and Gold scored 30 points to the Catamounts' 25. The women netted 32 to trail UVM by nine. The men's field featured four teams while three women's squads were represented.
• The Purple and Gold men were fifth in the latest U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) East Region poll.

MEN'S LEADERS

• Butler
  • 1st of 30 finishers in 8K, 26:48.3
  • 1st career win
  • 5th career top-5 finish
• First-year Josh Pelletier (North Andover, Mass./North Andover)
  • 5th, 27:19.8 (PR)
• Junior Andrew Scanio (Lake Placid, N.Y./Lake Placid)
  • 6th, 27:23.0
• First-year Pierce Coughlin (Oakland, Maine/Messalonskee)
  • 8th, 27:38.8 (PR)
• Junior Adam Bilodeau (Lewiston, Maine/Lewiston)
  • 10th, 27:54.6
• First-year Landon Stevens (Lexington, Ky./STEAM Academy)
  • 12th, 28:04.9 (PR)
• Sophomore Cooper Brennan (Wilton, N.Y./South Glens Falls)
  • 13th, 28:09.1 (PR)

WOMEN'S LEADERS

• Peterson
  • 2nd of 23 finishers in 8K, 31:25.0
  • Season debut
  • 5th career top-2 finish
• Miller
  • 3rd, 32:52.50
  • 3rd career top-3 finish
• Junior Meredith Reilly (Ashland, Mass./Ashland)
  • 9th, 35:29.0 (PR)
• Junior Kayley Bell (Caribou, Maine/Caribou)
  • 10th, 36:10.4
• Junior Rylee Burnham (Hartland, Vt./Hartford)
  • 11th, 36:16.9 (PR)
• Senior Jocelyn Sommers (Dalton, Mass./Wahconah Regional)
  • 12th, 36:41.2 (PR)
• Sophomore Jordan Munro (Holliston, Mass./Holliston)
  • 13th, 36:50.2 (PR)

NEXT SAINT MICHAEL'S MEET

• Friday at Lehigh University's Paul Short Run.