The St. Lawrence University women's cross country team kicked off a busy home season Saturday, as they turned in a strong performance on Saturday morning in front of a campus flooded with parents and alumni on Laurentian Weekend.

As a team, the Saints placed third overall in the team standings at the 33^rd-annual Ronald C. Hoffmann Invitational, hosted on the familiar trails of the SLU campus. Middlebury claimed the team title.

"We enjoyed being on the Hoffmann Course for our first six-kilometer race of the season today," said Saints head coach Kate Howard. "Previewing the course for the Liberty League and NCAA Regional Championships here at home will serve us very well later in the season."

The Saints are in a unique position this season, with the Liberty League Championship hosted by Clarkson on Saturday, November 1, followed by St. Lawrence hosting the NCAA Mideast Regional on Saturday, November 15 – both held on the Ronald C. Hoffmann Cross Country Course.

Charlotte Blake led the Saints with a standout run, finishing 10th overall in a time of 22:54.8.

Avery Blanchard and Quinn Sirgany followed closely, placing 16th and 17th respectively. Blanchard clocked in at 23:16.2, while Sirgany crossed the line in 23:27.2.

Madison Beaudoin continued her impressive debut season, finishing 26th overall and fourth for the Saints in her first attempt at a collegiate six-kilometer run, placing with a time of 23:53.8. Carly Zack rounded out the scoring five with a 35th-place finish in 24:16.3.

Cameran Stone and Paige Poirier also ran strong races, finishing 38th and 47th respectively.

Alivia Hopsicker ran a PR in the race, turning in a six-kilometer run of 27.23.2 for the best time of her collegiate career.

"We're learning our strengths, working on some nice pack running, and seeing great progress every single week. We'll look forward to a solid upcoming training block before heading to Paul Short in two weeks," continued Howard.

One of the largest races in the United States, the Paul Short Run is scheduled for Friday, October 3 in Bethlehem, Pa., on the campus of Lehigh University. The race begins at 10 a.m.

St. Lawrence Top Seven
10. Charlotte Blake – 22:54.8
16. Avery Blanchard – 23:16.2
17. Quinn Sirgany – 23:27.2
26. Madison Beaudoin – 23:53.8
35. Carly Zack – 24:16.3
38. Cameran Stone – 24:24.3
47. Paige Poirier – 24:45.0