The Blugold women’s cross country team battled a tough, hilly course to finish third at the St. Paul (Minn.) Roy Griak Invitational Saturday.

The women ran with 18 other teams. Four ‘Golds placed in the top 25 of a field of 225 runners. Sophomore Jane Ovanin was third, sophomore Missy Paulson came in 15th, junior Melissa Wright finished 16th and freshman Rachel Anderson came in 24th.

“I felt that we ran well as a team today,” Paulson said. “We showed some tough schools that we can compete with them.”

Those tough schools included first place Carleton College (Minn.) and second place St. Olaf College (Minn.) Both are Div. III schools, Paulson said.

Although running against these teams proved to be good experience, the women were disappointed that they couldn’t face conference rivals UW-Stevens Point and UW-Oshkosh, she added.

These UW system teams were at the meet but ran later, senior captain Betsy Coy said. The Blugolds ran at 9 a.m. It was an early morning for the team, leaving Eau Claire at 6 a.m. Nonetheless, the women were ready to race.

“(The early start) didn’t have too much effect on us.” Paulson said. “We just had to get to bed early. I don’t think it put a damper on anyone’s performance today,”

Coy said that to her knowledge, none of the ‘Golds set a personal record for time on the course.

It was consistently hilly and therefore slower, she said, and more difficult than the women were used to. Running such a course can be beneficial, she said.

“It’s definitely a harder course,” Coy said. “Everybody deals with it differently, but it makes us stronger.”

Paulson agreed.

“If you can still run a good time on a course like that, it will make things easier for your next race,” she said.

That race is the team’s only home meet of the season. The women will host the Midwest Long and Short Course at White Tail Golf Course in Colfax Friday.

Paulson said the women are looking forward to running at home.

“Since it’s our home course, we know it pretty well,” she said. “(Running at home) gives you the little edge over everyone else.”

Fan support is also a factor, she said, although the women have received plenty of it even at away meets this season.

“We’ve had lots of parents at every meet so far,” she said. “We’ve had lots of fan support, lots of cheering.”

The cheering will help in what’s bound to be a tough race, Paulson said.

“It will be a challenge,” she said. “Hopefully our front pack can really work together. We want to close the gaps between packs.”