Wellesley Cross Country Wins UNE Invitational

BIDDEFORD, Maine -- Wellesley College cross country placed seven of the top-ten runners to win the 2019 University of New England (UNE) Invitational on Saturday at Rotary Park. Junior Grace Cowles (Yarmouth, Maine) was the top Wellesley finisher in second place with a collegiate 5K PR of 19:07.8.

The Blue (27 points) finished ahead of second place Trinity (Conn.) (58) in the 11-team field. Host UNE was third (61), while Franklin Pierce was fourth (115), Saint Joseph's (Maine) was fifth (150) and Gordon took sixth (155). 

Senior Eva Paradiso (Burlington, Vt.) added a 4th place finish in 19:15.2 to give the Blue two runners in the top-five. The Blue took places 6-7-8 to round out the scoring runners, as senior Keiko Hilmo (Saint Paul, Minn.) earned a 6th place finish with a 5K PR of 19:24.8. Junior April Chu (Fremont, Calif.) followed in 7th with a PR of 19:27.3 and senior Taylor Mahlandt (Ephrata, Pa.) was 8th (19:28.5). 

Sophomore Maya Bradbury (Freeport, Maine) and senior Elizabeth Wegman (East Sandwich, Mass.) finished in 9th and 10th place, respectively. Bradbury finished with a PR of 19:37.0 while Wegman also recorded a PR of 19:46.5.

Rounding out the times for the Blue, junior Samara Shaz (New York, N.Y.) finished in 16th place (19:57.3), first year Claire Anderson (Denver, Colo.) was 25th (20:42.8) and classmate Ellie Murphy Weise (San Francisco, Calif.) was 38th (21:28.4), while senior Fiona Harrigian (San Marino, Calif. ) took 46th (21:42.9) and sophomore Natalie Li (Charlottesville, Va.) was 47th (21:43.1) Sophomore Kaylee Hill (Hingham, Mass.) and first year Bethany Pasko (Wellesley, Mass.) added times of 22:08.2 (54th) and 24:01.3 (85th), respectively. 

The Blue return to action next Saturday, September 21, at the Bowdoin Invitational. Race time is 12:00 PM.