ROCHESTER, N.Y.—The William Smith cross country team competed in the Yellowjacket Invitational hosted by the University of Rochester today. The Herons were led by a pair of first-years on their way to a 10th place finish.
 
In a field of more than 200 runners, first-year Evie Morris was the first William Smith runner across the finish line, placing 42nd. She completed her first collegiate 6-kilometer race with a time of 23:58.4. Morris missed a spot in the Herons' all-time top 10 times by just 3.11 seconds. Classmate Vienna Ritter-Yelle was the next William Smith finisher, logging a time of 24:11.9. In fact, five of the Herons' top six finishers were members of the Class of 2030.
 
TOP HERONS

• Morris, 23:58.4, 42nd
• Ritter-Yelle, 24:11.9, 51st
• Meghan Ingraham, 25:07.5, 96th
• Claire Ross, 25:40.0, 119th
• Amelia Kilway, 26:05.3, 136th

 
William Smith was 10th out of 16 teams. Division I Le Moyne was 36 points ahead of the Herons in ninth place, while Brockport trailed William Smith by 11 points in 11th place. Eighteenth-ranked Geneseo won the team title by nine points over Division I Colgate. Oneonta finished third.
 
Coach's Corner
 

"It was great to get back out there and compete after not racing last week. We've dealt with some adversity with illness and nagging injuries, but this group continued to show their commitment and work ethic as we were able to put together some really solid performances, including several PRs. I'm proud of how this team has persevered and we're excited to keep putting in the work and building towards next weekend's race at the Wildcat Classic." – Head Coach Tyler Wilkie

 
The Herons will race again on Saturday, Sept. 26, when they compete in the SUNY Poly Wildcat Invitational in Utica, New York.