Junior Alex Zupan (Monona, Wis.) finished 77th overall to lead the Gustavus men’s cross country team to a 19th place finish at the Jim Drews Invitational hosted by UW-La Crosse. Zupan crossed the line in 26:01 in a 23-team field that spanned all divisions of the NCAA.
The Gusties accumulated 588 points, finishing behind MIAC foes Hamline (10th, 298 points) and Macalester (15th, 413 points) and ahead of Saint Mary’s (23rd, 759 points). The University of Wisconsin-Madison won the meet with 46 points. The Badgers placed three runners in the top five and another in the top 15, finishing just ahead of Minnesota.
Junior Collin Meierbachtol (Northfield, Minn.) was the next highest Gustavus finisher, placing 182nd with a time of 27:25.
The Gusties will take a week off before toeing the line for the MIAC Championships on October 29 at Como Park in St. Paul.