GETTYSBURG, Pa. — St. Mary’s College of Maryland’s cross country teams got their biggest test of the season at the Shenk Invitational, lining up against fields of more than 40 teams in their final race before the United East Conference Championships.
The Seahawk women placed 30th of 46 teams with 906 points in the 6-kilometer race, and the men finished 29th of 44 teams with 844 points over 8 kilometers, according to the college’s women’s and men’s recaps. The meet was held Oct. 17, according to the team schedules.
Those placings came in fields stacked with larger programs. Johns Hopkins, a perennial Division III power, won the women’s team title with 43 points, and Carter Brotherton won the women’s individual race in 20:48.2. On the men’s side, Shippensburg took the team title with 70 points, followed by Johns Hopkins with 82 and St. Bonaventure with 98.
Mitchell sets the pace
Junior Ella Mitchell was the Seahawks’ top finisher in either race, placing 82nd in the women’s 6K in 23:18.1. That put her well ahead of the rest of the St. Mary’s women, the next of whom crossed in 25:40.5.
| Women’s 6K runner | Place | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Ella Mitchell | 82nd | 23:18.1 |
| Avery Arizzi | 267th | 25:40.5 |
| Maggie Tsambikos | 296th | 26:17.1 |
| Weiya Carter | 327th | 27:05.3 |
| Madison Kingsley | 347th | 27:42.5 |
| Molly Hieatzman | – | 27:55.7 |
| Alexis Hodges | – | 28:00.9 |
Elise Geiger, Sophie Reed, Kayla Thomas, Elle Wilson, Jessica Satz and Ria Tribbitt also ran for the St. Mary’s women; the college’s recap did not list their places or times.
Walsh and Smoot lead the men
Connor Walsh led the men, placing 132nd in the 8K in 26:52.3, with Brandon Smoot close behind in 162nd at 27:14.2. Kal Yewlsew and Rey Vilmenay finished three-tenths of a second apart, in 285th and 286th, to give the Seahawks a tight third and fourth scorer.
Men’s 8K runner Place Time Connor Walsh 132nd 26:52.3 Brandon Smoot 162nd 27:14.2 Kal Yewlsew 285th 28:40.5 Rey Vilmenay 286th 28:40.8 Owen Swisdak 344th 29:40.9
How the season has gone
Gettysburg was only the third race of the fall for St. Mary’s after the Oct. 2 Paul Short Run in Bethlehem, Pa., was canceled. The Seahawks opened Sept. 5 at the Dutchmen Invitational in Annville, Pa., where the men placed fifth of 15 teams with 183 points and the women placed seventh of 14 with 198.
Two weeks later, the program raced close to home. St. Mary’s hosted the Seahawk XC Classic on Sept. 18 at Oak Ridge Park in Hughesville, in neighboring Charles County, and won both small-field races: the men took first of three teams with 29 points, and the women took first of two with a perfect 15.
The step up from those meets to a 40-plus-team invitational shows in the place numbers, but the Shenk race gave the Seahawks a final look at a championship-size field before the races that count.
Up next is the United East Conference Championships on Saturday, Oct. 31, at 10 a.m. at Union Canal Tunnel Park in Lebanon, Pa., the same course where St. Mary’s opened its season. The NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regional follows on Nov. 14 in Lock Haven, Pa.
For more St. Mary’s College sports, see the Chronicle’s coverage of Seahawk rower Rowe’s lightweight single win at the Head of the Ohio.
