North Central teammates Anderson & Wilmot finish fourth & sixth in Edinburgh...

EDINBURGH, Scotland--North Central HS standout Tanner Anderson (left/photo from Nike Cross Nationals with Kai Wilmot by Kirby Lee, Image of Sport) finished fourth in the junior men's 6-kilometer race at the BUPA Great Edinburgh Cross Country race at Holyrood Park featuring squads from the USA, Great Britain, and a European all-star team.

Anderson, the reigning Washington 3A cross country champ, ran 19:16 as he was edged out by USA teammate Michael Maton, who ran the same time.

Anderson's North Central teammate Kai Wilmot, the Nike Cross Nationals champ,  finished sixth for Team USA in 19:21, while Mt. Spokane's John Dressel was twelfth in 19:33.

The junior men's 6k race was won by Alexis Miellet from France, representing Team Europe in 19:07.  Europe won the junior men's race with a team score of 17 to the USA's 20.

In the senior men's race, Stanford alum Chris Derrick asserted his will halfway through the race and took the victory for Team USA, running the 8-kilometer course in 24:11, while his 2013 world cross country championship teammate and defending BUPA Edinburgh cross champ Bobby Mack was fourth in 24:28.

Club Northwest's Joe Gray, the reigning USA Club Cross Country champion, worked his way from the back of the pack to finish in eighth in 24:47.

Team USA was edged for the top spot by Team Europe 53 to 55.

In the senior women's 6k race,  Sequim HS alum Stephanie (Marcy) Dinius finished eighth, as Team USA's second runner, crossing the line in 21:06.

Great Britain's Gemma Steel took the win, running 20:35.

The Brits took the team title with 35 points, with the USA third at 89 points.

After the race, Dinius said, " It was freezing out and quite muddy but that made it all the more fun. I positioned myself at the back of the lead pack for the first lap, then continued to draft off people in the second lap, the third lap I started moving and passing people, aided by a couple teammates within reach." 

"The last stream crossing marked the final stretch, so I knew I had to get my kick going, and managed to pick off one last girl. Overall, a great experience for my first international race and first time competing with Team USA."

Dinius noted that having fellow Stanford alums Chris Derrick, Brendan Gregg and Garrett Heath, the surprise winner of the invitational men's 4k race, helped make her first international race a memorable experience.

Complete results from the BUPA Great Edinburgh Cross Country race are available here.

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