Jamestown College, led by a 3-4 finish from Katie Conlon and Alyssa Bossler, finished second in the Dakota Athletic Conference cross country meet Friday on a warm day in Rapid City, S.D.
Conlon finished the 54K course in 19:41, while Bossler clocked in at 19:45.
The Jimmies had three all-conference runners with Conlon, Bossler and Cambrya Belter. Belter finished 13th in 21:04.
The times were up for everybody as the course left a lot to be desired and the warmer than usual temperatures, combined with the race being held at altitude, also were factors.
"It was a laboring race for everybody today," said JC women's coach Jim Clark, who was named the DAC Coach of the Year. "It was unusual for us to run in this kind of heat. Our last four meets have all been in the 30s and then you factor in we were running at altitude for the first time and it certainly made it challenging.
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"It was a tough running day for everybody. Even the best runners couldn't master the course. It was difficult to get into a rhythm."
Black Hills State, as expected, won the team title, led by the top two finishers in Erin Curran (19:12.12) and Wendy O'Lexey (19:14.89).
Conlon and Bossler qualified for the NAIA national meet, which is set for Nov. 21 in Vancouver, Wash.
Bossler's typically strong performance vaulted her into the top spot on the career scoring list in cross country at JC. She qualified for the national meet for the fourth straight year.
"She's had a special career and to be able to finish it off at nationals is a great tribute to her," Clark said.
