BOSTON – Suffolk women's cross country locked up sixth at the Suffolk Invite Saturday afternoon at Franklin Park.
The course was a 6k for the first time in the three-year history of the event and the Rams combined for a team score of 228, good for sixth in the 16-team field, which featured four top-ten NCAA Division III East Regional teams. No. 7 Wellesley captured the title behind a team score of 38. Ari Marks of the Blue set the 6k Suffolk Invite record with a 21:59.
The blue-and-gold outshined its Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) opponents Endicott and Gordon. Suffolk edged the Gulls, who finished seventh, while the Fighting Scots placed 11th.
Individually, Gwen Koziara was the fastest Ram on the course. The Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, native came through the finisher's chute in 24:26 to claim 15th. She was the first CCC runner to cross the finish line. She was the seventh-best freshman on the course and the third-best NCAA Division III first-year to compete.
Sydney Fogg stood out as well as the sophomore clocked a career-high 25:06 to take 31st.
Sarah Roberts and Christina Baggitt finished inside the top 100 as well. The former, a freshman from Stockton, New Jersey, crossed the tape in 27:24, good for 86th, while the latter, a sophomore that calls Taunton, Massachusetts, home, turned in a 27:45 showing to claim 92nd.
Freshman Therese McKeagney was nine spots behind her classmate Baggitt in 101st with a time of 28:08 and round out the Rams' point earners.
Upperclassmen senior Skyler Spanbauer (29:12) and junior Michelle Riley (32:19) raced in the event as well.
The Suffolk Invite served as final prep for the blue-and-gold before they run for the CCC Championship at the end of the month. The Rams will take a break next week to prepare for the conference meet set for Saturday, Oct. 30 in Springfield, Massachusetts.