SALEM, ORE. -- The Willamette University women's cross country team took eighth place out of 42 teams and the Bearcat men's team placed 20th out of 45 teams at the AAE Invitational at the Lake Breeze Golf Club in Winneconne, Wis. A total of 559 runners competed in the women's race, with 664 runners participating in the men's race.

Taylor Ostrander (Jr., Kenai, AK/Kenai Central HS) earned 17th place to lead three Willamette runners in the top 50 of the women's 6-kilometer race. Olivia Mancl (So., Seattle, WA/Roosevelt HS) was 23rd and Michaela Freeby (Sr., Milwaukie, OR/Rex Putnam HS) placed 50th.

Ostrander recorded a time of 21:42.64. Mancle was timed at 21:48.05 and Freeby completed the course in 22:23.24.

Yonny Castillo (Jr., Parkdale, OR/Hood River Valley HS) of Willamette was 56th in the men's race with a time of 25:29.3. He was 44th among scorers.

An extended story will be posted later.