BETHLEHEM, Pa. — The Smith College cross country team competed against one of the deepest fields in the nation at the Paul Short Invitational on Friday afternoon, finishing 39th out of 45 teams. Junior Lucy Kreipke (Princeton, NJ/Princeton) paced the Bears with a strong top-100 finish.

Kreipke crossed the line in 22:41.6, good for 88th place overall in a field of nearly 400 runners.

First-year Avery Maiese continued her standout debut season with a time of 23:28.4 for 188th, followed closely by junior Sofia Jurusz (Wildwood Crest, NJ/Middle Township), who ran 23:29.9 for 195th.

Sophomore Amelia Gronert (24:55.0) and senior Hillary Connor (Yarmouth, ME/Yarmouth) (24:58.3) rounded out the Bears' scoring five, while junior Catherine Collins (Westfield, NJ/Westfield) (25:14.4), first-year Abigail Lei (25:32.4), first-year Indigo Olsen (Leadville, Colorado/Lake County High School) (26:02.3), and sophomore Elise Kennedy (Middletown, CT/Middletown) (28:51.8) provided depth to the Smith lineup.

Smith Top Finishers

• Lucy Kreipke (Princeton, NJ/Princeton) (JR) – 22:41.6 (88th)

• Avery Maiese (FR) – 23:28.4 (188th)

• Sofia Jurusz (Wildwood Crest, NJ/Middle Township) (JR) – 23:29.9 (195th)

• Amelia Gronert (SO) – 24:55.0 (314th)

• Hillary Connor (Yarmouth, ME/Yarmouth) (SR) – 24:58.3 (320th)

The Bears return to action on October 11th at the James Earley Invitational, continuing their preparation for the upcoming NEWMAC Championships on November 1st. 

About Smith Athletics: Smith College is a NCAA Division III member of the New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference that sponsors 11 intercollegiate sports. For more information log onto GoSmithBears.com and follow us on Facebook and Instagram