Cross Country wins first place at Invitational

BY GIGI PICARD ’22

Mount Holyoke Cross Country concluded their regular racing season with a first place finish at the Western New England Invitational. The Lyons sped past 17 teams, including New England Women’s and Men’s Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) members Babson College and Clark University, on the 6k course, coming in with 40 total points on Saturday, Oct. 19.

Hannah Rieders ’21 and Madeline Rieders ’21 tied for first place. Lauren Selkin ’23 and Olivia Griesmer ’23 finished consecutively for 11th and 12th place and Simone Jacob ’21 finished 14th overall.

“We have a ... motto to remember that you are never racing alone, and all your training is not just for your own goals but to support and help your teammates reach their goals as well,” Griesmer said about the race.

Hannah and Madeline Rieders, Selkin, Griesmer, Jacob, Hyde, Milligan, Ravino, Anderson, Kearney, Dillon, Gronbeck, Rodman, Wrobleski, Lindblom, Klein and Craig recorded best 6k times at the Invitational.

“Even though we had our first 6k this weekend, we brought the same energy that we’ve brought to 5ks this season and just focused on racing hard and having a good time,” captain Kayla Dillon ’20 said.

In two weeks, Lyons Cross Country will travel to Franklin Park, Massachusetts, to race at the NEWMAC Championships on Sunday, Nov. 3.

“Our goal is to place in the top three in the conference,” Dillon said. “I’m really excited to go out and have fun racing hard and to show the rest of the conference what Mount Holyoke is about.”