CANTON, N.Y. - The Norwich University women's cross country team stepped up to the six-kilometer distance for the first time this season on Saturday afternoon, competing at the 34th Ronald C. Hoffmann Invitational, hosted by St. Lawrence University on the Hoffmann Cross Country Course.
Running with a shortened lineup, Norwich sent four competitors through the 6K and therefore did not register a team score. The meet nevertheless provided the Cadets with their first full-distance benchmark of the fall as they continued to build toward the heart of the 2026 schedule.
Freshman Ava Dillon (Erie, Colo.) continued the impressive start to her collegiate career, leading Norwich for the second consecutive meet. Dillon finished 20th overall in 24:22.8, placing herself among the upper third of the 65-runner field. She passed the opening mile in 6:18.3 and reached the 3,930-meter split in 15:34.0 before completing her first collegiate 6K.
The remaining three Cadets crossed within just 21.7 seconds of one another, giving Norwich a compact pack behind Dillon.
Freshman Haley Mitchell was second among the Norwich contingent, taking 35th overall in 26:10.5. Sophomore Kaitlyn Moore (Ballston Lake, N.Y.) came through shortly afterward in 38th with a 26:19.9 clocking, while freshman Anna Barlow (Kingston, N.H.) finished one place later among the Norwich group and 39th overall in 26:32.2.
Mitchell, Moore, and Barlow remained closely connected throughout much of the race. All three reached the first mile between 6:38.8 and 6:42.3, then passed the 3,930-meter checkpoint within a span of just over nine seconds before maintaining that grouping through the finish.
"The teams weren't at full strength today, but we had some good individual performances that show our fitness is coming along," said Head Coach Michael McGrane. "In our second meet of the season, the women raced their first 6k of the season to set a benchmark for the conference meet in six weeks. Likewise, the men raced their first 8k of the season. Several men notched new personal best marks today, and a few ran their first XC 8k. It was a good team effort today for both teams."
Queen's University swept the first five scoring positions to claim the team championship with a perfect 15 points, finishing ahead of host St. Lawrence's 50. Plattsburgh State took third with 79 points, followed by Clarkson with 120 and SUNY Canton with 151. Queen's senior Olivia Baggley claimed the individual crown in 22:04.8.
WOMEN'S LEADERS:
Norwich will return to action on Sunday, Oct. 4, traveling to New London, N.H., for the Maslan Invitational, hosted by GNAC foe Colby-Sawyer College at the Morris Trail. The women's 6K is scheduled for 11:00 a.m. and will give the Cadets an early look at the course that will also host the 2026 GNAC Championships on Sunday, Nov. 1.
