September 6, 2008
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Carole Grills
(413) 585-2703

Cross Country Takes Fourth at Amherst Invitational

Amherst, MA: The harriers of Smith College opened the 2008 season with a fourth place finish at the Amherst Invitational. First year Kristin Peck (Bethlehem, NY)led the Pioneers with a fifth place finish and completed the 5k course in 20:48.15.

Amherst won the race with 43 points followed by Springfield (45), Wheaton (MA) 85, Smith (98), St. Anselm (116) and Merrimack with 145.  Springfield's Amanda DiPaolo was the first runner to cross the finish line in a time of 20:17.41 followed by Wheaton's Lauren Reddy (20:42.22), Caitlin Crosby (Springfield) 20:42.43, Wheaton's Amanda Rawson (20:46.84) and then Peck. The home team took seven of the next eight places to narrowly defeat Springfield.

Senior Nora Youngs (Penacook, NH) 18th overall was the second runner in for the Pioneers in a time of 21:17.81 followed by first years Hania Thomas-Adams (Deerfield, MA) in 27th place (21:53.72), Uli Botzojorns (Bolton, VT) 30th (21:59.12) and Emma Yourd (Pittsburgh, PA) 31st in 22:03.67.  Other finishers for the Pioneers included Liza Rosenfield (Wayland, MA) 45th (23:02.5); Alyssa Panozzo (Manlius, NY) 48th (23:13.3); Kirin McElwain (New Hope, PA) 62nd (24:19.6); Sari Field (Nutley, NJ) 65th (24:34.2) and Christine Monska (Easthampton, MA) 70th in 25:31.3.

The Pioneers will host the Smith College Co-Ed Invitational next Saturday, Sept. 13 with the women's race at 11 am followed by the men at 11:45 am.