Blue Cross Country Runs To 26th Place At NEICAAA Championships

BOSTON, Mass. -- Sophomore Taylor Mahlandt (Ephrata, Pa.) led the Wellesley College cross country team to a 26th place finish on Saturday afternoon at the cross divisional NEICAAA All New England Championships at Franklin Park. 

Mahlandt finished 99th overall with a time of 19:48.2 in a 5k race featuring runners for all three NCAA Divisions. Senior Isabella King (Cincinnati, Ohio) followed Mahlandt finishing second for the Blue and 123rd overall in 20:10.0. First year Ava Shipman (Makawao, Hawaii) finished third for Wellesley, crossing the line with a time of 20:49.4. She was followed by classamte April Chu (Fremont, Calif.) in 21:17.6 and sophomore Sophie Dolan (Austin, Texas) in 21:28.9. Also in action for the Blue, senior Clare Salerno (Johnson, Vt.) and first year Hannah Russo (Summit, N.J.) finished the 5k race in 21:50.5 and 22:33.5, respectively.

Wellesley also took 15th out of 19 teams in the women's 5k JV race on Saturday. First year Samara Shaz (New York, N.Y.) was Wellesley's top finisher in the event, taking 113th in 21:15.7. 

Wellesley will race again next Saturday, October 14, at the Seven Sisters Championship at Smith College in Northampton, Mass.