BLACKSBURG, Va. – Senior Olivia Warr opened the 2026 season with an eighth-place individual finish to lead the No. 16 Washington and Lee University women's cross country team to second place in the 4.4-kilometer race at the Virginia Tech Invitational on Friday.

THE BASICS

• Team Finish: 2nd of 6 teams
• Team Score: 58 points
• Location: Blacksburg, Va.
• Distance: 4.4K

HOW IT HAPPENED

Senior Olivia Warr led the way for the Generals in their season debut, crossing the finish line eighth overall in 15:49.1 to record W&L's top individual performance.

Behind Warr, the Generals used a tightly packed group to secure the runner-up team finish. First-year Laura Sallade crossed the line 16th overall in 17:12.4, followed closely by classmate Caroline Ferguson, who placed 17th in 17:18.0.

Rookie Annabel Bayler and sophomore Audrey Robinson completed the scoring five in 21st and 22nd, respectively. Bayler posted a time of 17:31.7, while Robinson followed in 17:37.6, giving W&L five finishers among the top 22 overall.

Sophomores Amelia Weenig and Claire Dumont provided additional depth in the sixth and seventh positions for the Generals. Weenig finished 24th in 17:45.9, with Dumont just three-tenths of a second behind in 17:46.2 to place 26th.

W&L finished with 58 points to take second in the six-team field, trailing only Division I Virginia Tech, which swept the first five scoring positions for 15 points. The Generals finished 28 points ahead of ODAC rival Lynchburg in third and placed 11 runners among the top 30 overall.

The Generals will com back to Buford on September 18th for the Hokie Invitational. 

BY THE NUMBERS

• 2nd – W&L's team finish in the six-team field.
• 58 – Team points scored by the Generals.
• 8th – Warr's overall finish to lead W&L.
• 5 – Generals among the top 22 finishers.
• 11 – W&L runners finishing among the top 30.
• 25.2 seconds – The spread between W&L's second through fifth finishers.
• 28 points – W&L's margin over DIII Lynchburg, which finished third.

TEAM STANDINGS

1. Virginia Tech – 15
2. Washington and Lee – 58
3. Lynchburg – 86
4. Concord – 125
5. UVA Wise – 134
6. Ferrum – 153

W&L INDIVIDUAL RESULTS

Place	Runner	Time
8	Olivia Warr	15:49.1
16	Laura Sallade	17:12.4
17	Caroline Ferguson	17:18.0
21	Annabel Bayler	17:31.7
22	Audrey Robinson	17:37.6
24	Amelia Weenig	17:45.9
26	Claire Dumont	17:46.2
27	Hannah Adams	17:53.3
28	Josie Engle	17:59.6
29	Emma Watson	18:08.8
30	Maddy Morgan	18:22.0
32	Lucie Graziano	18:24.0
38	Brenna Luczak	18:53.9
39	Mackenzie Moore	19:02.4
43	Kate Odell	19:17.2
50	Lily Nastopoulos	19:50.9
56	Sofia Petrucelli	21:07.1
59	Sally King	21:18.1

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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.