Cross country places fourth among 25 Division III teams at UMass-Dartmouth Invitational

Greta Trapp placed 58th among 281 runners at the UMass-Dartmouth Invitational, helping Mount Holyoke place fourth out of 25 Division III teams on Sept. 17, 2023. (RJB Sports file photo)
Greta Trapp placed 58th among 281 runners at the UMass-Dartmouth Invitational, helping Mount Holyoke place fourth out of 25 Division III teams on Sept. 17, 2023. (RJB Sports file photo)

DARTMOUTH, Mass. -- The Mount Holyoke College cross country team finished fourth among 25 Division III teams and 13th out of 37 teams overall on Sunday at the UMass-Dartmouth Invitational, led by junior Tessa Lancaster's 37th-place finish among 281 individuals.

The Lyons scored 407 points in the massive meet, which included 13 squads from either Division I or Division II. Boston University led all teams with 26 points, followed by Division II Stonehill (94) and Division III Connecticut College (99). Only Wellesley (10th place) and Keene State (12th) scored ahead of the Lyons among Division III teams, while such rivals as Westfield State, Salve Regina, Springfield and Wheaton trailed Mount Holyoke.

Lancaster (Mansfield, Mass.) covered the 5-kilometer course in 18:55.0, a pace of 6:05.3 per mile, to lead the Lyons with the 11th-fastest time among Division III runners.

Junior captain Greta Trapp (La Crosse, Wis.) placed 58th overall in 19:20.8, and senior captain Bridget Hall (Arlington, Mass.) took 73rd place in 19:34.4, giving the Lyons three runners inside the top 75 in a race of 281 competitors.

Junior Kim Beaver (Agawam, Mass.) placed 124th overall (20:37.9) and first-year Jane Miller-Arsenault (Middlesex, Vt.) placed 138th (20:47.1) to round out the team scoring. Serving as scoring displacers for Mount Holyoke were junior Olivia Johnson (Mount Desert, Maine) in 144th place (20:59.6) and sophomore Katie Earle (East Kingston, N.H.) in 164th (21:17.7).

Mount Holyoke will next compete at the Keene State Invitational, Sept. 30 at 11am.