ETTRICK, Wis. — The Saint Mary's University of Minnesota cross country teams had one last meet to fine-tune their engines before the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Championships in two weeks.
 
And fine-tune they did.
 
Jovan Newsum (Glendale Heights, Ill.) posted his best eight-kilometer effort of the season, finishing 30th overall in leading the Cardinal men to a 14th-place team finish at the UW-La Crosse Jim Drews Invitational Saturday morning, while Erika Thiel (Burr Ridge, Ill.)  and Heidi Ledermann (Mahtomedi, Minn.) paced the Saint Mary's women's 21st-place effort.
 
Newsum crossed the finish line in 25:41 en route to his 30th-place showing among the 333 competitors. Austin O'Hare (Rushford, Minn.) chipped in a time of 26:32 to become the second Cardinal across the finish line, while Jase Pater (Adrian, Minn. / 27:21), Brandon Krogman (Owatonna, Minn. / 27:28) and Sherman Moga (Shoreview, Minn. / 27:42) rounded out the Saint Mary's top five.
 
Thiel and Ledermann finished neck-and-neck to pace the Saint Mary's women, clocking 6K times of 24:41 and 24:47, respectively. Allie Thiel (Burr Ridge, Ill.) was the third Cardinal across the finish line with a time of 25:16, followed by Josie Moreno (Cicero, Ill. / 25:35) and Alicia Berkenes (Buffalo, Minn. / 26:12).
 
The University of Minnesota won the men's race, edging runner-up St. Olaf by four points. The Gophers' Eric Colvin won the individual title, stopping the clock in 24:43, edging out the Oles' Jake Campbell, who placed second in 24:50.
 
Host UW-La Crosse took home the women's team title with a dominating 53-point win over the University of Minnesota. Leanne Pompeani of Iowa Central was the individual winner, touring the 6K course in 21:09, with Cornell's Abrah Masterson (21:23) and Sanjuanita Martinez (21:48) placing second and third, respectively.
 
The Cardinals are now off until Oct. 31, when they head to Como Park Golf Course in St. Paul, Minn., to take part in the MIAC Championships.