BENNINGTON, Vt. – Saturday marked the first formal open 5K meet for the Southern Vermont College women's cross country team as it hosted the annual Mountaineer Invitational on the College campus.
SVC freshman Schyler McGuire (Mechanicsville, N.Y.) crossed first for the team, sixth overall, with a time of 22:56, just one second off cracking the school's all-time top 10 record list despite running on the challenging mountain-side course. "Her time was great given the tough course and wet conditions," commented SVC head coach Kathleen Newton. That also is the best time for a Southern Vermont runner at the Mountaineer Invite in six years.
In a chilly morning race with an overcast sky, Southern Vermont finished eighth overall as a team. Williams College placed first in the team rankings with Castleton State College and Paul Smith's College finishing second and third, respectively. Paul Smith freshman Chloe Mattiio (Lancaster, Pa.) won the race with a time of 21:03, crossing 52 seconds before any other runner.
Mountaineer sophomore captain Haley Omasta (Danbury, Conn.) finished second for the team, 27th overall, at 25:27. Freshman Mallory Cano-Scribner (East Montpellier, Vt.) was third (61st overall) with a time of 36:23, and sophomore Ashley Perrino (Rotterdam, N.Y.) wasn't far behind at 36:34 (62nd overall); it was the first ever open 5K for both runners. Senior Sara Burds (Williston, Vt.) rounded out the Mountaineer five at 63rd with a time of 36:58.
Southern Vermont is excited and ready for Friday's Saratoga Invitational in Saratoga Springs, N.Y. with a 12:30 p.m. start time.