ST. PAUL, Minn. – Sophomore Christopher Henry turned in a solid 23^rd-place effort to lead the Cowboys while senior Lauren Hamilton finished 32^nd in her season debut to lead the Cowgirls as the UW cross country team competed at the prestigious Roy Griak Invitational on Saturday. The Cowboys finished 10^th in a field of 15 teams for the men's 8K race while the Cowgirls were 12^th in the 18-team field for the women's 6K race.
 
"Chris (Henry) ran a strong race," UW assistant coach Scott Dahlberg said Saturday. "He put himself in a good spot early and competed well. Some young guys got needed experience today."
 
Henry clocked a time of 25 minutes, 56 seconds in the men's 8-kilometer race at the University of Minnesota's Les Bolstad Golf Course. He finished fifth among sophomores in the field of over 150 athletes, moving up toward the end of the race to secure a top-25 finish. Fellow sophomore Harry Ewing, who was the Cowboys' top finisher at the 2016 Roy Griak Invitational, took 43^rd place with a time of 26:26 and now has two career top-50 finishes at Griak.
 
Next on the men's side was sophomore Daniel Hintz, who took 80^th overall with a time of 27:25. Freshman Jerald Taylor, making his collegiate cross country debut, was the Cowboys' fourth finisher at 99^th overall with a time of 27:58. Senior Calum Kepler rounded out Wyoming's top five, clocking in at 28:14 for 105^th place.
 
For the Cowgirls, senior and 2016 Second Team All-Mountain West selection Lauren Hamilton made her season debut count with a 32^nd-place finish in 22:40 for the 6-kilometer race. Fellow senior Kerry White took 61^st place in the field of over 200 runners, recording a time of 23:11. Sophomore Ashley Bock had a breakout race to finish close behind White, taking 66^th overall at 23:17.
 
"Today was a solid day for the Cowgirls," associate head coach Amanda Clower said. "Our top three ran very tough under very hot and humid conditions. Everyone improved their time from last year, which is a step in the right direction. We're looking forward to three more weeks of solid training."
 
Juniors Kiah Leonard and Regan VanDePol rounded out Wyoming's top five in 97^th and 119^th, clocking in with times of 23:54 and 24:16, respectively.
 
San Francisco finished as the top team on the women's side, while Colorado State topped the standings on the men's side. Wyoming cross country will be back in action on Sept. 30, when a handful of runners head to Boulder, Colo., for the Rocky Mountain Shootout before the full team returns to action at Pre-Nationals in Louisville, Ky., on Oct. 14. Follow @wyo_track on Twitter to stay updated on all things Wyoming cross country.