THE BASICS:
- Location: Williamstown, Mass.
- The Lead: Led by three runners in the top 10, the No. 3 MIT women's cross country team powered to a season-opening victory at the Purple Valley Classic on Saturday afternoon. The Engineers defeated seven nationally-ranked teams, including three in the top 10, to win the meet with a total of 55 points.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
- Sophomore Katie Bacher (Macungie, Pa.) led the Engineers with a fourth-place finish as she crossed in 22:17.8 to beat her time from the 2016 race by a 47-second margin. Senior Mary Eccles (Wahiawa, Hawaii) placed ninth in a time of 22:47.5, followed by sophomore Marissa McPhillips (Narragansett, R.I.) in 10th at 22:48.5.
- Junior Leandra Zimmermann (Augsburg, Germany) finished in 14th place in 22:57.8, while freshman Katie Collins (Newton, Mass.) crossed in 18th place in 23:08.2 in her collegiate debut.
- Rounding out the top seven for MIT was sophomore Tessa Weiss (Scottsdale, Ariz.) in 28th place in 23:29.7, followed in 29th by freshman Lindsey McAllister (Los Angeles, Calif.) at 23:39.6.
UP NEXT:
- MIT is back in action on Saturday, October 7th as the Engineers head to nearby Franklin Park for the 2017 NEICAAA Championships.
STAY CONNECTED:
- For the latest on MIT Athletics, follow the Engineers via social media on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.
