CONCORD, Calif. – The LMU women's cross country team finished 10th among 15 teams at the Saint Mary's Invitational on Friday, racing the 6K course at Newhall Park against a strong field that included several top West Coast Conference and NCAA West Region programs.
The Lions totaled 244 points as Chico State won the team title with 39 points. LMU also finished ahead of Santa Clara and within range of WCC foes St. Mary's (212) and Seattle U. (226), giving the Lions an early look at where they stack up against conference competition.
Senior Rylee Guinn and junior Ava Boyd both cracked the top 25 in the loaded field, with Guinn leading the way in 18th overall in 21:13.6 and Boyd right behind in 22nd at 21:19.5. The Lions showed strong depth throughout the lineup, running in tight packs from front to back.
Senior Tessa Kline (76th, 22:21.1), senior Emma Ronan (83rd, 22:29.2) and junior Alexandra Zanon (94th, 22:43.8) rounded out the Lions' scoring five.
"The team competed well today, especially against such a strong field," LMU head coach Chloe Curtis said. "We saw a lot of depth and pack running throughout the lineup, and seniors Emma Ronan and Alex Zanon stepped up in a big way for us."
"It was a great opportunity to race alongside some of our conference rivals and get an early look at where we stack up," said Curtis. "We've got plenty of work ahead of us, but this was a really encouraging step forward."
LMU will split its squad for its next outing, with the team racing at both the Joe Piane Notre Dame Invitational on October 2 and The Master's University Invitational on October 3.
