WOOSTER, Ohio - The newly-minted North Coast Athletic Conference champion Allegheny women's cross country team boasted five of the top 20 finishers in a 55-runner field at the unscored College of Wooster 5K Twilight Challenge.  

Freshman Sarah Lucas led the way for Allegheny, covering the course in 19:28.3 to place eighth overall.   Fellow rookie Kara Travers was the Gators' number-two runner, finishing in 11th with a time of 19:34.6, less than two seconds outside of the top-10. 

Travers was one of three Allegheny runners to place between 11th and 15th place, as sophomore Jacelyn Alberts placed 13th at 19:42.7, and freshman Madissen Steiner 14th in 19:43.9.  Freshman Claire Morrison was the fifth Gator to sit in the top-20, placing 17th in a time of 19:47.7.

Rounding out the Gator competitors, sophomore Karissa Coffield turned in a time of 20:18.6 to place 29th, freshman Pearl Cooper 21:04.2 to take 41st, sophomore Diana Pendleton 21:22.9 to finish 45th, and freshman Allison Johnson 46th in 21:37.5.

Oberlin College's Corrie Purcell earned the individual title, posting a time of 18:53.0 to finish eight seconds in front of second-place Joy Castro-Wehr, also of Oberlin.

The Gators will now continue to prep for the postseason, as they are slated to take part in the NCAA Division III Great Lakes Regionals next Saturday, November 11 at Ohio Wesleyan.