STANDISH, Maine – Led by three runners in the top 20, the Regis College women's cross country team received an early look at the course to be used in the upcoming GNAC Championships with a fifth-place finish at the Runnin' Monks Invitational, hosted by Saint Joseph's College Saturday at the SJC Cross Country Course.
For the second straight race, Maggie Mann (Buzzards Bay, Mass.) finished in fifth place overall, posting a five-kilometer time of 20:39.3. Maddie Boucias (Buckland, Mass.) crossed the finish line within the top 15 for the third time this season, ending up in 12th place with a mark of 21:43.4.
Ashleigh Kelley (Stoneham, Mass.) enjoyed the best finish of her young collegiate career, finishing in 19th place with a time of 21:57.9. Her sister Erin Kelley (Stoneham, Mass.) ended up in 47th place with a mark of 24:06.4, followed by Desiree Jones (Oceanside, Calif.) in 61st place in 25:03.4 and Lizzy Melvin (Southington, Conn.) in 70th place in 25:59.4.
As a team, Regis compiled 133 points to finish in a tie for fifth place with host school Saint Joseph's College and ahead of five other schools, including conference foes Simmons and Rivier. Emmanuel cruised to the team title, as the Saints had the top two finishers in race winner Pearl Vercruysse (20:21.3) and runner-up Hannah Fitzpatrick (20:35.4).
Regis will head to Franklin Park in Boston, Mass., for the Suffolk Invitational Friday, Oct. 12, starting at 4 p.m.