WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — The Southern Vermont College women's cross country team had a great deal of success at Saturday's Purple Valley Classic hosted by Williams College at Mount Greylock Regional High School.

All six Mountaineers took at least a minute off of their times posted at last week's race and set season bests in the process. Three SVC runners set new personal records with one of those cracking the program's all-time top five leaderboard. Southern Vermont placed fourth overall in a field of nine teams that included top Division III programs and another from Division II.

Bennington College sophomore Annika Kristiansen (Keene, N.H.) crossed first for Southern Vermont, placing 14th overall out of 83 participants. She came through with a personal-best mark of 21:21.8, a time good enough to rank fifth on the all-time SVC record list for 5,000 meter races. Junior captain Shelby Whitman (Bennington, Vt.) was right behind her at 15th overall, taking 1:47 off of her time from a week ago to come in at 21:23.4.

SVC junior Schyler McGuire (Mechanicville, N.Y.) was next for the Mountaineers with a showing of 22:39.0, a time 1:35 quicker than she posted at last week's race. BC sophomore Isabella Poulos (Milwaukee, Wis.) shaved off 1:44 from a week ago for a new personal-best time of 24:36.6, and senior Emily Freling (Schenevus, N.Y.) rounded out the Mountaineer top five with a 25:58.6, a mark 1:19 faster than she put up at the last meet. Junior Emily Lesure (Cheshire, Mass.) also set a new personal best, taking 1:33 off of her previous top finish to come in at 25:59.5.

Southern Vermont is back in action next Saturday, October 3 with an 11 a.m. 5k at Keene State College.

Southern Vermont
14th – Annika Kristiansen: 21:21.8 (PR)
15th – Shelby Whitman: 21:23.4
30th – Schyler McGuire: 22:39.0
54th – Isabella Poulos: 24:36.6 (PR)
66th – Emily Freling: 25:58.6
67th – Emily Lesure: 25:59.5 (PR)