Trio of former Bulldog runners excel at next level

(Courtesy photo) Utah State freshman Hannah Davidson, third from left, competes at a dual against the University of Utah recently in Logan. The Aggies women’s cross country team is ranked No. 10 in the nation.

Garrett Pierce

Ciera Bailey

| September 6, 2018 1:00 AM

Garrett Pierce

Ciera Bailey

SANDPOINT — A trio of former Bulldogs are enjoying their first season of college cross country, as the Sandpoint program continues to produce runners the next level.

Freshman Garrett Pierce finished 40th overall and first on his College of the Ozarks men’s team last Saturday at the Southwest Baptist University Bearcat Invitational in Bolivar, Missouri.

There were 111 men competing on Saturday, and the Ozarks finished ninth. Pierce led his team with a time of 24:32.28. The Bobcats will hit the trails for practice the next two weeks before competing in the Missouri Southern Stampede in Joplin on Saturday, Sept. 15.

Freshman Ciera Bailey of the College of Idaho finished 8th recently at the annual Alumni Race, earning a top-10 varsity spot. Bailey clocked a 7:34 on the 2K course, and the Yotes women’s team is ranked in the top 10 nationally among NAIA teams.

Hannah Davidson clocked a 19:20 on a hilly 5K course in her first ever college meet for Utah State, which competed in a dual at the University of Utah in Logan.

Davidson is among the top 20 on the Division 1 powerhouse Aggies’ women’s team, which is ranked 10th nationally after finishing 14th last year at Nationals. Davidson is competing against many of the best collegiate runners in the country.