ST. PAUL, Minn. – The Macalester College men's cross country team competed against eight other MIAC teams and came out on top at the Hamline Invitational, also known as the MIAC Preview, at Highland National Golf Course, home of this year's MIAC Cross Country Championships on Nov. 1. The Scots' top five runners finished in a pack between seventh and 11th to score 45 points, nine ahead of Carleton in second.

At the front of the pack were first year Donovan Connole (West Hartford, Conn./William H. Hall) and junior Daniel Wiltse (Missoula, Mont./Hellgate), who took seventh and eighth just 0.1 seconds apart in 27:17.3 and 27:17.4. First year Chase Fitterer (Spokane, Wash./International School of Business) was close behind at 27:20.0 in ninth, followed by senior Jordan Galloway (Portland, Ore./Grant) in 27:35.0 and junior Owen Lafferty (Woodbury, Minn./Mounds Park Academy) in 27:37.0. Less than a 20-second gap separated Macalester's top five, plus sophomore Caleb Hatlevig (Stow, Mass./Francis W. Parker Charter Essential School) took 13th, 2.8 seconds behind Lafferty.

Last year the Scots placed third at the MIAC Championships behind St. Olaf and Saint John's for the program's best finish since 1971. Among Friday's Macalester runners, only Galloway scored as the Scots' fifth runner at the MIAC meet in 2024.

Macalester heads to the University of Minnesota's Roy Griak Invitational next Friday, Sept. 19 at Les Bolstad Golf Course in Falcon Heights, Minn.

Click here for final results.

Hamline Invitational - Highland National G.C. (6000-meter course)
Team Scores
1. Macalester - 45
2. Carleton - 54
3. Saint John's - 73
4. Gustavus - 129
5. St. Scholastica - 135
6. Bethel - 146
7. Saint Mary's - 202
8. Augsburg - 220
9. Hamline - 253