SALEM, Va. - The Virginia Wesleyan women's cross team finished 9th at the Roanoke Cross Country Invitational on Friday evening at Green Hill Park in Salem, VA. All six racers set new personal records in the 6K race as the teams now prepare for the 2022 ODAC Championship meet in two weeks.

INSIDE THE RESULTS
Result Link

The field for the Women's 6K race consisted of 15 teams across all three divisions, I, II, and III. Division I Radford University competed and took the top spot on the women's side, with familiar opponents Southern Virginia and Washington and Lee rounding out the top three teams. 

Elizabeth Smeltzer led the Marlins crossing the finish line in 25:52.9, a new personal best time that shaved a minute off her previous best time (26:52.1).

Marranda Hansford was the second Marlin to finish running a time of 25:53.2, a season-best time, which was nearly 1:30 seconds off her time from the previous race where she finished in 27:29.9. 

Cecelia Aten ran the race in 26:19.3 lowering her personal best time even further from the last race where she finished in 27:05.5.

Anna Collins was the fourth VWU runner to finish, crossing the line 72nd, in 26:48.1. Collins took nearly two full minutes off her previous best time of 28:19.6 set at the Lehigh Paul Short Run (9/30/22). Rounding out the top-five runners for Virginia Wesleyan was Emily Petsko who placed 74th with a time of 27:01.2, which is a season best time.

Jessica Wilson rounded out the VWU racers finishing 85th in the field of 125 runners. Wilson ran her fastest 6K at the Roanoke XC Invitational setting a new PR of 27:36.6, nearly a minute faster than her former best time (28:31.1). 

UP NEXT
The Marlins get another two-week break from the course until October 29th, when they head to Kernstown Battlefield in Winchester, VA, for the 2022 ODAC Championship meet hosted by Shenandoah University.