WATERFORD, Conn. – The 30th-ranked Washington and Lee University women's cross country team delivered an impressive fourth-place finish at the Conn College Invitational, beating seven teams ranked ahead of the Generals in the national poll, on Saturday afternoon.
W&L was led by junior Olivia Warr, who placed third overall in the 6k Blue Race with a time of 21:09.7. Cassie Carr (34th) and Emma Mitchell (40th) followed as the Generals placed five runners in the top 100.
The Blue and White tallied 189 points and beat seven teams ranked higher than them, including No. 5 Amherst and No. 17 Middlebury. MIT, ranked No. 1 nationally, won the race with 83 points, while No. 7 NYU (101 points) and No. 16 Williams (106 points) rounded out the top three in team scoring.
SCORING SEVEN
BY THE NUMBERS
- Top-3 Finish for Warr: Olivia Warr finished third overall with a time of 21:09.7, in a race stacked with some of the nation's top-ranked runners. Warr was in sixth at the first checkpoint and held her position through most of the race, before unleashing a strong final kick in the last 200 meters to move up and secure third place.
- Strong Team Effort: The Generals' fourth-place team finish saw them defeat seven teams ranked higher in the USTFCCCA national poll, including No. 5 Amherst, No. 17 Middlebury, No. 18 Connecticut College, No. 19 St. Olaf, No. 22 Tufts, No. 24 Coast Guard and No. 28 Vassar.
- W&L's top-five runners averaged a time of 22:03, with a 1:27 spread from the first to fifth finisher and all seven clocked in personal best 6k times.
- Cassie Carr was in 63rd place after the first 1.65k and surged ahead, overtaking 30 runners to finish 33rd. Emma Mitchell gained 28 spots throughout the race to finish 40th. Sophia Breschi passed 47 competitors to secure 46th place. Mimi Kemp moved up 42 spots, finishing with 71 points toward the team score.
- Individual Champion: Middlebury's Audrey Maclean claimed the individual title with a time of 20:42.7, and MIT won the team title with 83 points.
UP NEXT
The Generals will next compete at the ODAC Championships in Salem, Va., on November 2.
Nestled in the mountains of Virginia, Washington and Lee University is a proud member of NCAA Division III and the Old Dominion Athletic Conference. Founded in 1749, W&L is the ninth-oldest college in the United States and a top-ranked liberal arts university. With over 500 student-athletes in 24 varsity sports, the Generals have celebrated over 265 conference championships. Learn more about the Blue and White by visiting www.generalssports.com or on social media at @WLUGenerals.
