Lancers Women's Cross Country Compete Strong at UMass-Dartmouth Invite

Worcester, MA- The Worcester State women's cross country team turned in a strong pack performance at the UMass Dartmouth Invitational on Saturday, with the Lancers competing across both the Gold and Navy 6K races.

In the Gold race, senior Leah Berg (Worcester, MA) led the way with a time of 26:01.81, edging out sophomore Samantha Edwards (East Longmeadow, MA) at 26:05.44 and first year Anna Serafini (Leominster, MA) at 26:07.15. The trio crossed within six seconds of one another, setting the tone for Worcester's depth. Senior Kelsey Gendreau (Seekonk, MA) followed in 26:26.74, with senior Bridget O'Malley (Leominster, MA) finishing at 26:56.17. First-year Caydence Carr (Upton, MA) continued her strong collegiate debut season with a 27:10.77, while classmate Janine Betcher (Fontana, CA) rounded out the Lancer squad in 27:40.17.

In the Navy race, sophomore Jillian McMenemy (Westborough, MA) paced Worcester with a 20th-place finish in 29:04.19. The Lancers kept their pack tight behind her, as first-year Tamara Ayala-Garcia (Lawrence, MA) ran 29:22.36, followed closely by sophomore Lauren Flanagan (Milford, MA) in 29:27.59 and senior Aubrey Tunnera (Marlborough, MA) in 29:40.00. Senior Claudia Symonick (Auburn, MA) rounded out the scoring five with a time of 32:17.15.

With multiple runners finishing in tight groups in both races, Worcester State demonstrated strong pack running and continued growth from both its veteran leaders and promising newcomers.

Worcester State returns to action on October 11, competing at the Jim Earley Invitational hosted by Westfield State.