Montana State's cross country team placed eighth overall at the Mountain Region meet in Albuquerque, New Mexico, closing the door on their opportunity to run in the nationals as a team. However, sophomore Patrick Casey has a chance to make the national meet as an individual runner.

Casey placed 21^st at the meet, garnering All-Mountain Region honors that go to the top 25 runners. He may also get an at-large bid as an individual runner to the nationals if everything aligns in his favor. If UTEP gets picked as an at-large team from the Mountain Region, Casey would rise to be the third at-large individual in the region. Four at-large singles will go to the NCAA national championships in Terra Haute, Indiana November 23.

“There is still some hope that (Patrick) Casey could go,” head coach Dale Kennedy said. “Our region is loaded with talent and there is an outside chance that UTEP could get an at-large bid as a team. If that happens, Casey will go.”

Casey became the first Bobcat runner since Jonathan Gibson in 2003 to receive All-Region honors. He was followed by Nick Atwood (34^th), Matt Adams (35^th), Graydon Curry (52^nd), Carl Nystuen (76^th), Dan Jackson (81^st) and Tyler Noland (87^th).

“This isn't as high as we hoped to finish, but we did run better than we did at the Big Sky Conference meet,” Kennedy said. Northern Arizona placed fourth in the meet and will likely get a team slot to the NCAA race.  MSU was the second highest placing Big Sky team at the meet followed by Weber State and Montana.

The Bobcat women placed 18^th in the meet of 20 teams. They were led by Heather Haug who placed 59^th in the 6k course, Kala Jauquet (75^th), Rebecca Sorenson (118^th), Corrine Malcom (121^st), Larkin Guenther (128^th) and Morgan Dunley (132^nd).

The at-large individual slots will be announced on Monday.  

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