SPRINGFIELD, Mass. — The Southern Vermont College women's cross country team got back to competition on Saturday, three weeks after its last race, as the crew participated in the 2015 Golden Bear Invitational hosted by Western New England University.
The Mountaineers raced all 10 members of the team for the first time this season, each putting up personal improvements for the year while six set a new personal record.
SVC was led by junior captain Shelby Whitman (Bennington, Vt.) who crossed the line 16th overall at 20:34, taking 49 seconds off her mark from three weeks ago and 16 seconds from her showing at last year's Golden Bear. She was followed for the team by Bennington College sophomore Annika Kristiansen (Keene, N.H.) who came in 20th overall, taking 39 seconds off her previous collegiate best for a new personal record time of 20:43; that mark also helps her climb up to fourth on the all-time SVC record list for a 5,000 meter race.
Southern Vermont junior Schyler McGuire (Mechanicville, N.Y.) was next for the team with a 21:41 showing, 58 seconds faster than her time from three weeks earlier and 14 seconds quicker than she posted at the 2014 Golden Bear. Classmate Emily Lesure (Cheshire, Mass.) placed fourth for her team with a time of 23:52, besting her previous personal record by 2:07.
Bennington College sophomore Isabella Poulos (Milwaukee, Wis.) also set a new PR, shaving 37 seconds off her previous best for a 24:00 to round out the Mountaineers' scoring placements. Next across the line for SVC was senior Emily Freling (Schenevus, N.Y.) who came through with a 24:19, a time 1:39 better than she posted three weeks ago and 2:03 faster than she did at last year's Golden Bear.
Southern Vermont freshman Morgan Arleth (Berlin, Vt.) ran her first collegiate 5k, coming in with a 25:53 showing. Classmate Morgan Kaeppel (Vernon, Vt.) had the biggest personal improvement for the team, taking 5:04 off her previous best for a 27:08 mark. Junior Kaylee Cross (Lewis, N.Y.) knocked off 4:17 from her old PR for a new personal best time of 29:51, and senior Ashley Perrino (Schenectady, N.Y.) came in at 30:21 for a time 2:58 faster than she posted at WNEU's 2013 race.
SVC placed eighth as a team in the field of 15 squads while Westfield State University won the meet.
The Mountaineers now have one more race to prepare for the October 31 New England Collegiate Conference Championship, heading to Mount Greylock Regional High School next Saturday, October 24 for the Planksy Invitational hosted by Williams College. The 5k, set to start at 12 p.m., will be a collective men's and women's race and replaces the October 3 Keene State Invitational that was cancelled.
Southern Vermont
16th – Shelby Whitman: 20:34
20th – Annika Kristiansen: 20:43 (PR)
42nd – Schyler McGuire: 21:41
79th – Emily Lesure: 23:52 (PR)
85th – Isabella Poulos: 24:00 (PR)
87th – Emily Freling: 24:19
109th – Morgan Arleth: 25:53 (PR)
124th – Morgan Kaeppel: 27:08 (PR)
135th – Kaylee Cross: 29:51 (PR)
138th – Ashley Perrino: 30:21