Led by second-year head coach Chris Kibler, the Mount Holyoke cross country team had an outstanding season. The Lyons posted six top-10 finishes over seven meets, including second at the Smith Invitational and third at the competitive James Earley Invite at Westfield State.
The 2018 campaign opened at Fitchburg State's Jim Sheehand Memorial (5k) as rookie Sydney Nash took eighth overall in her first collegiate race to lead the Lyons. As a team, MHC took third overall in the field of nine teams.
Next up was the Smith Invitational (5k), as Nash once again led all Lyons as she powered her way to seventh. Mount Holyoke was outstanding overall with six season-best marks on their way to second overall – just five points behind the host Pioneers.
Mount Holyoke then headed to the UMass-Dartmouth Invite (5k), which saw the varsity runners take ninth in a field of 45 teams, while the sub-varsity was fifth among 15 teams. Nash once again paced the way for Mount Holyoke, finishing the varsity race in 58th overall. Rookie Jamie Day paced the sub-varsity event, earning 10th overall.
The Lyons best race of the season to that point came the following weekend as MHC took third of 29 teams at Westfield State's James Earley Invitational (5k). During the 2017 campaign, the Lyons had placed 21st of 34 teams at the Earley Invite. Sophomore Simone Jacob paced the team's runners in the varsity race, earning 19th overall, while rookie Sarah Hyde crossed the line first for the sub-varsity race. She powered her way to third overall as the sub-varsity runners earned second of eight squads.
Mid-October saw the Lyons place fourth at the Seven Sisters Championship (6k) as Jacob took home All-Seven Sisters honors with a 12th-place finish to lead MHC. Next up was the NEWMAC Championships (5k) as Jacob once again paced the effort in 17th overall.
MHC closed out the season at the 2018 NCAA New England Regional Championships (6k) in a field of nearly 400 runners. Jacob once again led all Lyons' participants as she took 66th-place with a personal-record time. All seven of MHC's runners placed in the top-150, which led the Lyons to 17th overall in the field of 57 squads.
The Lyons had a strong year academically with seven student-athletes named to the 2018 NEWMAC Academic All-Conference Team, while the entire squad garnered USTFCCCA Division III All-Academic Team honors. Additionally, senior captain Hannah Gershone was tabbed to the NEWMAC All-Sportsmanship Team.
