The St. Mary’s College of Maryland cross country teams opened their seasons Saturday at the LVC Dutchmen XC Invite, with the men’s team placing fifth and the women’s team placing seventh at Lebanon Valley College’s Union Canal Tunnel Park course in Lebanon, Pa.
The Seahawk men totaled 183 points to finish fifth among 15 teams in the 8K, posting a combined time of 2:25:09 and an average of 29:01. Lebanon Valley won the team title with 40 points behind an unusually tight pack of five runners who crossed within two-tenths of a second of each other, followed by Susquehanna (72), Eastern (118), and Penn State Berks (174). Junior Pierson Hogue led St. Mary’s, finishing 23rd overall in 28:22.9, an average of 5:42.5 per mile, good for 25 team points. Freshman Brandon Smoot was next for the Seahawks in 32nd (28:47.9), followed by freshman Connor Walsh in 38th (28:59.4), freshman Kal Yewlsew in 44th (29:16.1), and freshman Reylouson Vilmenay rounding out the scoring five in 53rd (29:43.3). Blake Carberry (59th, 30:28.2), Noah Fisher (60th, 30:28.5), and Jack Kuta (71st, 30:54.3) also competed. Derick Blair won the men’s individual race in 25:45.4.
On the women’s side, St. Mary’s totaled 198 points to place seventh of 14 teams in the 5K, finishing in a combined 1:51:23 and an average of 22:16. Millersville won the team competition with 24 points, followed by Lebanon Valley (91) and McDaniel (94). Junior Ella Mitchell paced the Seahawks with a 12th-place finish in 20:07.5, averaging 6:28.6 per mile and scoring ninth individually. Senior Weiya Carter was St. Mary’s second finisher in 71st (23:12.5), with senior Elise Geiger close behind in 72nd (23:14.2). Senior Madison Kingsley placed 80th (23:57.2), and senior Alexis Hodges rounded out the scoring five in 83rd (24:16.5). Molly Hieatzman (24:33.9), Sophie Reed (25:14.3), Aurora Della-Giacoma (26:36.7), Elle Wilson (26:37.4), and Kayla Thomas (27:53.6) also ran for St. Mary’s. Bailey Mullen won the women’s individual race in 18:46.7.
Both Seahawk squads return to action Friday, Sept. 18, for the Seahawk XC Classic at Oak Ridge Park in Hughesville.
