HOPKINTON, N.H. -- Due to the cancellation of the Paul Short meet last week, the women's cross country team participated in an additional meet today that was not previously on the schedule. The Judges had the top four fastest finishes, winning the Hopkinton Festival Open 5k in New Hampshire by 29 points. This was a kilometer shorter than their typical 6-kilometer race, making it a great preview for the team's upcoming meets. 

Senior Sadie Harrow (Bangor, Maine/Bangor) led the pack, finishing first overall with a 18:37.5. This was nearly a minute faster than her cross country 5k PR of 19:29.4 from last season. Second overall went to junior Lily McNulty (S. Glens Falls, N.Y./S. Glens Falls). McNulty finished her first-ever collegiate cross country race with a time of 18:48.3.

Close behind were sophomore Mikaela Beeler (Livermore, Calif./ Livermore) and first-year Joely Klaristenfeld (San Diego, Calif./Canyon Crest Acad.). Beeler took third place, shaving almost two minutes off her previous cross country 5k PR and finishing with a 18:51.0. Klaristenfeld was right with her in fourth place, crossing in 18:51.5. Next, in 31st place, was sophomore Rebecca Hlavachek (Jefferson, Mass./Wachusett Regional). Hlavachek got a 20:55.9–an improvement of roughly a minute from her prior PR. Not far behind was first-year Julia Velasco (Lawrence, Kans./Lawrence Free State), who finished in 40th place with a 21:16.1. 

The women's team will compete in their first full-length 6K race of the season on October 17th in New London, Connecticut. Both the men's and women's teams will be racing at this invitational hosted by Connecticut College.