STILLWATER, Okla. — The Yale women's cross country team's top seven runners traveled to Stillwater, Okla., for Saturday's Weis-Crockett (Pre National) Invitational hosted by Oklahoma State University. On a grueling 6km course, the team worked together in the first 2km, with the goal to move up gradually through the field. OSU's Greiner Family Cross Country Course is one of the only courses in the U.S. that was created specifically for cross country, and the steep uphill and downhill sections make it technically very challenging.

Three Bulldogs finished in the top 70 among a strong field of 236 athletes that included some nationally ranked teams. Senior Kosana Weir was the first to finish for Yale, placing 32nd with a time of 21.32.4. Junior Kathryn Rodrigues and first year Claire Archer were close behind in 56th and 66th, with times of 21:53.1 and 22:01.1 respectively. All three have raced consistently well throughout the season and they gained valuable racing experience from this competition. 

Junior Kyra Pretre was the next Bulldog to cross the line, running 22:38.5 for 120th. Senior Samantha Friborg and first year Miranda Lorsbach finished in almost identical times of 23:05.8 and 23:06.6, placing 156th and 157th. Sophomore Kylie Goldfarb rounded out the team with 23:40.8 for 184th. 

Yale finished 16th out of 26 teams. California Baptist University claimed the team title. 

This race was great preparation for the Ivy League Heptagonal Championships (Heps), which will take place in Van Cortlandt Park in New York on Friday, Oct. 28. The 6km Heps course will feature a combination of hilly and flat sections. Twelve Bulldogs will compete against each Ivy League school's top 12 runners in this conference championship.

Full results can be found here.