COLFAX, Wis. – Despite missing two of the team's top-five racers, the No. 11-ranked Carleton College women's cross country team finished fourth out of 36 programs at the Blugold Invitational hosted by UW-Eau Claire.
Rookie
Claire Vukovics posted her first collegiate victory, besting the 347-runner field with a time of 21:45.7. Senior
Aliya Larsen had her highest-ever finish at this meet, placing sixth at 22:26.1. First-year
Amelia Campbell took 13th with a time of 22:52.3 to make Carleton the only team to put three runners inside the top-15.
"This was one of the largest meets we have competed in so far this season," said Carleton head coach
Donna Ricks. "(Claire) did an amazing job of executing her race strategy. Aliya brought positive energy throughout the week and had her highest finish ever at the meet."
No. 16 UW-La Crosse captured the team title with 117 points, while No. 27 UW-Eau Claire (132 points) earned runner-up status. NCAA Division II program Minnesota-Duluth was third at 147 points, with Carleton (172), Hope (183), No. 23 St. Olaf (187), and runners from the nationally-ranked NCAA D-I program at the University of Minnesota (221) rounding out the top seven teams.
The competition was originally slated for late afternoon but was moved up several hours in order to avoid the warmest portion of an unseasonably hot day that saw temperatures in the upper 80s.
"It took a lot of effort to get to the line today as we've been working through sickness these past two weeks," said Ricks "and changing the meet to the morning required some additional maneuvering for our students. However, it was well worth it, as overall the team gained valuable experience."
Nicole Peterson finished 72nd at 23:59.5, and
Nora Daley took 85th with a time of 24:10.3 to round out Carleton's scorers at this meet.
"I'm proud of how our upper-class women have been working with the first-years, having them navigate the workouts and working together in meets is extremely valuable," noted Ricks. "I'm looking forward to watching them grow and develop throughout the season!"
Up Next for the Knights
Carleton will send its top runners to the Connecticut College Invitational on Saturday, Oct. 18. The rest of the team will race that day at St. Olaf in the Haunted Hustle on the Hill.
