NORTHAMPTON, Mass. — Smith College placed third at the NEWMAC Women's Cross Country Championship on Saturday, scoring 84 points as host of the 12-team meet. Senior Lucy Kreipke (Princeton, NJ/Princeton), sophomore Avery Maiese and senior Sofia Jurusz (Wildwood Crest, NJ/Middle Township) each earned All-NEWMAC honors to lead the Bears. MIT won the team title with 19 points, and Coast Guard was second with 56.

Kreipke led Smith in eighth place, finishing the 6K course in 23:17.7 after running seventh at the 4K mark. Maiese followed in 12th at 23:27.1, and Jurusz placed 18th in 23:46.5.

Junior Amelia Gronert (24:12.8) and first-year Hadley Smith (North Yarmouth, Maine/North Yarmouth Academy) (24:14.1) finished 25th and 27th to complete the scoring five. Smith moved up seven spots over the final 2K, and the Bears had a 56-second spread from their first to fifth runner. First-year Violeta Rechea (Melrose, MA/Melrose High School) (24:59.7) and junior Aranza Torres Encinas (25:11.7) were Smith's sixth and seventh runners, placing 45th and 49th. The Bears finished 21 points ahead of fourth-place Wellesley.

Smith returns to action at the NCAA Mideast Regional on Nov. 14 at Wickham Park in Manchester, Conn.

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