Wellesley Cross Country Places 5th of 47 at ECAC Championships

BRISTOL, R.I. -- The Wellesley College cross country team raced to a 5th place finish out of 47 teams at the 2013 ECAC Division III Cross Country Championships, held at Colt State Park in Bristol, Rhode Island, on Saturday.

The Blue entered just seven runners into the event, with all seven finishing in the top-60 of the massive 327-runner field. Wellesley finished behind only four schools, in Middlebury, Williams, Tufts, and Amherst, and was the top NEWMAC finisher at the event.

Wellesley was led by first-year Sara Vannah who covered the 6k course in a time of 23:44.10. She finished in 28th place overall.

The Blue's four other scoring runners finished in a tight pack between 40th and 46th place. Sophomore Sharon Ng finished 40th overall, recording a time of 24:03.92, while first-year Kelsey Cathcart finished right behind her, with a 41st place time of 24:08.22.

Rounding out the scoring runners for the Blue, sophomore Laura Brindley placed 44th overall, completing the course in 24:13.30. First-year Meg Kelly placed 46th overall, finishing in 24:15.92.

Two other runners finished in the top-60 for the Blue, as first-years Heather Smith and Edie Sharon both competed. Smith finished 55th in a time of 24:25.76, while Sharon ranked 58th in a time of 24:31.50.

The Wellesley cross country team is back in action on Saturday, November 16th, competing at the 2013 NCAA New England Regional, hosted by the University of Southern Maine.