UTICA, N.Y.—The William Smith cross country team placed runners in the top seven at the SUNY Poly Bill Tylutki Wildcat Invitational this morning, winning the team title by 37 points over runner-up Hartwick. Heron first-year
Vienna Ritter-Yelle took the individual title, finishing three seconds ahead of the runner-up, junior
Megan Ingraham.
Ritter-Yelle and Ingraham led the field around the 6-kilometer course with Ritter-Yelle posting a winning time of 24:48.5. Ingraham stopped the clock at 24:51.2, a 15-second improvement over her time at 6K last week. Paulina Ostrander of Hudson Valley Community College was the third place finisher in 25:12.9. The next four runners over the line were all wearing the green and white of William Smith.
The Herons finished with a team score of 18 while the Hawks compiled a score of 55. Hudson Valley CC was third followed by Keuka and the host Wildcats.
Top Herons
- Ritter-Yelle, 1st, 24:48.5
- Ingraham, 2nd, 24:51.2*
- Amelia Kilway, 4th, 25:22.6*
- Claire Ross, 5th, 25:37.4*
- Magnolia Redmond, 6th, 25:43*
- Clare Horan, 7th, 26:17.2*
- Arawen Leasure, 9th, 26:43.3*
* Season's best time
Coach's Corner
"It was great to see Vienna come away with a first place finish today. She's been working hard and it's a well-deserved victory for her."
"I'm really proud of this group and the way they competed today. They showed a lot of confidence and toughness and we got better as a team. It's exciting to see the progress we are making, but we know there is still more work to be done. Today was a step in the right direction and puts us in a great position to keep building toward a fast race at Houghton in two weeks."
– William Smith Head Coach Tyler Wilkie
Race Notes
- This was the fourth straight year the Herons have competed in the Wildcat Invitational. It's the second time William Smith has won the team title (2023). The Herons finished second in 2024 and 2025.
Up Next
- The Herons will have a week off before racing in the Highlander Invitational at Houghton on Oct. 10.
