CMS Women's Cross Country Has Top Six Finishers to Win Cougar Challenge

SAN MARCOS, Calif. - The Claremont-Mudd-Scripps women's cross country team had the top six individual finishers to earn the lowest possible score of 15 points to take first place in the three-team Cougar Challenge at Cal State University San Marcos on Saturday morning.

Sophomore Abigale Johnson (pictured) finished in first place with a time of 21:53.7, edging out senior teammates Malea Martin (21:56.3) and Natalie Marsh (21:56.8), who finished side-by-side on the muddy course. Sophomore Dulcie Jones (22:33.4) came in fourth place, followed by freshman Riley Harmon (22:39.9), who was the fifth scorer for the Athenas on the day. Freshman Sophie Gitlin (22:48.0) finished sixth overall, while Lisa Flora of CSU San Marcos was the first non-Athena to cross the line, finishing in seventh place with a time of 22:55.0. 

Sophomore Georgia Scherer was 11th overall for CMS in 22:55.9, followed closely by senior Matilda Msall in 12th place in 22:57.4. Sophomores Jackie McVay (23:15.5) and Olivia Gleason (23:24.8) finished 15th and 17th, while freshman Emily Clarke (23:29.7) and sophomore Sophie Liles (23:38.3) earned top 20 finishes in 19th and 20th place, respectively. 

Clarke and Liles started a wave of nine straight CMS finishers - senior Olivia Palenscar, sophomore Samantha Baker, freshman Brooklyn Button, freshman Chloe Taylor, junior Alexandra Lambros, junior Laura Fleming, and freshman Serena Myjer ended in the 21-27 spots to all end up in the top half of the 54-runner field. 

The Cougar Challenge was the final tune-up for the Athenas before the SCIAC Championships, which will take place in two weeks on Saturday, Oct. 27 at Prado Park.