Vienna Ritter-Yelle finished 34th out of 101 runners to lead William Smith to seventh place at Saturday's Liberty League women's cross country championships.
The first-year runner completed the 6-kilometer course in 24 minutes, 35.1 seconds, according to HWS Athletics.
Three Herons finish in the top 50
Evie Morris, also a first-year runner, followed Ritter-Yelle in 44th at 25:05.4. Junior Megan Ingraham was 46th in 25:07.0.
Claire Ross placed 67th in 26:01.8, and Amelia Kilway was 72nd in 26:16.6 to round out William Smith's leading five finishers.
Vassar won the team championship by 27 points over runner-up St. Lawrence. RPI was third, followed by RIT, Union, Ithaca, William Smith, Bard and Clarkson.
Vassar's Haley Schoenegge won the individual title in 21:19.8.
Niagara Regional is next
Coach Tyler Wilkie described the course as demanding and praised the team's progress through the season.
"Today was a challenging day, as the course was demanding, but I couldn't be prouder of the work, commitment, and growth this group has shown throughout the season," Wilkie said.
He said the team had continued to work and push one another, investing in its teammates and representing HWS through the season's challenges.
William Smith travels to Fredonia for the NCAA Niagara Regional Championships at 11 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 14.
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