GENESEO, N.Y. -- Allegheny College women's cross country placed fifth at the 41st Annual Mike Woods Invitational, hosted by No. 1 nationally-ranked SUNY Geneseo at the National Warplane Museum on Saturday.

In a field that included numerous regionally- and nationally-ranked programs, the Gators proved why they've been one of the top teams in the Great Lakes Region throughout the 2022 season. Allegheny kept pace with several teams listed in the latest U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) National Coaches' Poll. Of the four teams ahead of AC in the standings, three - No. 1 SUNY Geneseo, No. 14 Middlebury College, and No. 24 Dickinson University - are in the top 25.

With 136 team points, the Gators were just behind the 16th-ranked Panthers (109), but well ahead of a sixth-place Misericordia University team that appeared in the rankings last week.

Leuca Hanish (Baden, Pa. / Ambridge), Nelly Stafford (Middletown, Md./Middletown), Megan Aaron (Cranberry Township, Pa./Seneca Valley), and Mazzie Standish (Wexford, Pa./North Allegheny) paced Allegheny with top-40 finishes out of 274 total runners. Hanish ran the six-kilometer course in 23:24.3 and placed 25th. She made great strides as the race developed, climbing 10 places between the second and fourth kilometers, and another five spots in the final 2,000 meters. Standish, who placed 37th (23:42.5), quickly made her way through the pack as well. At the 2K marker, she was in 82nd, but surpassed 25 runners by the 4K marker and another 20 before reaching the finish.

Team Results
1. SUNY Geneseo - 15
2. Dickinson - 85
3. Case Western - 96
4. Middlebury - 109
5. Allegheny - 136
6. Misericordia - 208
7. SUNY Brockport - 208
8. Rowan - 276
9. Berry (Ga.) - 277
10. St. John Fisher - 287
11. SUNY Oneonta - 299
12. RIT - 299
13. William Smith - 401
14. SUNY ESF - 422
15. Franklin Pierce - 441
16. Rochester - 454
17. Alfred - 511
18. Oswego State - 515
19. D'Youville - 540
20. Medaille - 636

Allegheny Results
25. Leuca Hanish - 23:24.3
27. Nelly Stafford - 23:27.6
31. Megan Aaron - 23:35.9
37. Mazzie Standish - 23:42.5
66. Sarah Maue - 24:12.7
72. Eva Kerr - 24:22.6
96. Madeline Allen - 24:56.0
97. Genevieve Feltmeyer - 24:57.4
99. Celia Cocca - 24:58.9
109. Chloe Bonson - 25:08.6
114. Hailey Stupay - 25:16.7
125. Marrin Crist - 25:29.2
133. Rachel Walters - 25:37.1
154. Renee Tetlow - 26:02.1
190. Anna Kwasnica - 26:54.5
191. Erin O'Neill - 26:56.1

Up Next
Allegheny will travel north to Waterford, Connecticut, to compete in the Connecticut College Invite at Harkness Park on Saturday, October 15.