SALEM, Ore. – Racing in the most crowded field they’ll face all season, the Linfield men’s and women’s cross country squads came away with a pair of top-10 showings at the 37th Charles Bowles Willamette Invitational staged Saturday at Bush’s Pasture Park.

On the men’s side, five Wildcats placed among the top-60 finishers, helping Linfield place eighth among 15 teams and third amongst the seven Northwest Conference schools assembled.

Scott Gage paced Linfield in the eight-kilometer men’s race, earning 35th place in 25 minutes, 35 seconds. Teammate Arian Anderson was close behind, taking 42nd place in 25:39. Freshman Calvin Howell (Soph., San Antonio, Texas) was 66th in 26:18, Eric Weinbender was the 69th runner across the finish line in 26:18, and Alex Van Slyke rounded out the Linfield scorers, placing 78th in 26:35.

The women’s squad placed 10th in a cluster of 16 teams. The Wildcats finished behind NWC sister schools Lewis & Clark (fourth), Whitman (seventh) and Willamette (ninth).

Linfield sophomore Mimi Seeley (Jr., Redmond, Ore.) clocked 18:38 over the women’s five-kilometer course. Seeley earned 32nd place, sixth-highest among NWC competitors. Nelly Evans was 49th in 18:51, followed by Hanna Greider, who claimed 70th in 19:12 and freshman Audrey Lichten (Soph., Sequim, Wash.), 72nd in 19:16. Gretchen George finished in 19:19, good for 77th place.

A total of 175 runners competed in the women’s race while there were 161 athletes who took part in the men’s race.

COMING UP: The Wildcats are idle until Oct. 15 when they’ll head to northeast Portland to compete in the Concordia/Puma Classic at Fernhill Park (about eight blocks east of the Concordia campus).