GRAND JUNCTION, Colo.— The Adams State University cross country teams opened the 2020 season in fine fashion on Saturday morning. The Grizzlies saw the women win the team title while the men finished in second at the 2020 Maverick Invitational hosted by Colorado Mesa University at Lincoln Park Golf Course.

The Grizzlies captured the women's team crown with 31 points as they were buoyed by redshirt sophomore Brianna Robles, who is the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC) reigning Freshman of the Year won the 5,000-meter race in 17:31.97. Western Colorado, who was ranked No. 1 in this week's Coaches' Poll was a distant second with 54 points.

The ASU men finished in second place with 45 points. Western Colorado University, who was ranked No. 1 in this week's Coaches' Poll, went 1-2-3 en route to the team title as Taylor Stack won the 8,000-meter race with a time of 24:18.65. The Mountaineers won the meet with 25 points.

For the women, junior Stephanie Cotter was the second Grizzly across the finish line in third place with a time of 17:52.49. Adams State then saw the pack mentality take over as they saw four runners finish in eighth, ninth, tenth and 11th places. Senior Sarah Wills led the pack with a time of 18:23.84, just ahead of sophomore Nicole Lawrence, who finished in 18:26.68. Freshman Reina Paredes finished in tenth place to round out the top five scorers with a time of 18:34.11. Freshman Morgan Hykes posted a time of 18:40.86 while freshman Amalia Dorion finished in 23rd place with a time of 19:16.67.

Sophomore Paige Morales finished in 26th place with a time of 19:28.24, sophomore Amanda Foster finished in 29th place with a time of 19:39.01, freshman Emily Schoellkopf finished in 19:46.19 to finish in 32nd place and sophomore Sorcha Moloney rounded out the Grizzly runners with a time of 21:11.35 finished in 47th place.

On the men's side, junior Isaiah Rodarte paced the Grizzly men with a fourth place finish in the 8,000-meter run with a time of 24:52.89 while senior Carson Bix finished in fifth place with a time of 24:59.72.

Freshman Yonas Haile finished in 25:04.20 to finish in seventh place while freshman Ahmed Sado (25:33.60) and freshman Micah Paiz (25:37.69) finished in 14th and 15th places, respectively, to round out the scorers.

Senior Paddy Robb finished in 17th place with a time of 25:44.91 while freshman Elijah De La Cerda finished in 19th place with a time of 25:52.26, just ahead of junior Davonte Jett-Reynolds, who finished in 20th place with a time of 25:54.73. Junior Ariel Conde (25:58.02) finished in 22nd place, freshman Andrew O'Keefe (25:58.10) finished in 23rd place, freshman Elias Perez (26:27.76) finished in 31st place, senior Douglass Davis (26:32.97) finished in 33rd place, Alec Hall (26:42.72) and junior Miguel Coca (26:49.52) finished in 38th place.

Freshman James Dunne (26:58.29) finished in 44th place, while junior Aron Orar (26:58.58) finished 45th place, sophomore Jacob Wheat (27:29.16) finished in 54th place, junior Mitchell Dervin (27:53.43) finished in 57th place, junior Devin Paredes (28:16.37) finished in 61st place and junior Godfrey Chama (28:44.18) finished in 67th place.

Adams State is next scheduled to compete in the 2020 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Championship meet on Saturday, Oct. 24. The championship event is being hosted by the University of Colorado-Colorado Springs at Monument Valley Park. The Grizzlies will then close out the 2020 season on Nov. 14 when they compete in the D2 XC National Invitational meet in Lubbock, Texas.