CANTON, N.Y. -- Racing conditions were not optimal on Saturday afternoon, but the Elmira College women's cross country team braved the winter weather to compete in the 2019 NCAA Division III Atlantic Regional Championships, hosted by St. Lawrence University in Canton, New York.

With North Country temperatures below freezing and a dusting of snow, the Soaring Eagles finished 37th out of the 38 teams that traversed the Ronald C. Hoffmann Cross Country Course. Elmira amassed 1,163 points in the standings, beating last-place Baruch College (1,264) by 101 points.

A trio of Soaring Eagles finished below the 30-minute mark, led by Emma MacDowell '23. The first-year runner came in 230th place out of a field of 274 with a 6,000-meter time of 28:42.4. Junior Claire Preisch '21 kept pace with MacDowell without the race, as she finished just two spots behind the rookie with a time of 28:45.8.

In 246th place, Ashley Naples '22 recorded the second-fastest 6K of her debut season. Naples completed the course in 29:30.6, just 16.5 seconds shy of her personal record, which came at the 2019 Empire 8 Conference Championships on November 2.

Running alongside each other and coming in back-to-back places was the first-year duo of Danielle Knapp '23 and Gabrielle Stemmer '23. Knapp (31.47.9) placed 255th and reached the finish line 2.7 seconds before Stemmer (31:50.6) in 256th place.

The sixth Soaring Eagle to finish the 6K was Mackenzie Becker '23, who shrugged off the cold long and completed the final event of the 2019 season in 37:50.6.

Elmira Women's Results
230 – Emma MacDowell – 28:42.4
232 – Claire Preisch – 28:45.8
246 – Ashley Naples – 29:30.6
255 – Danielle Knapp – 31:47.9
256 – Gabrielle Stemmer – 31:50.6
272 – Mackenzie Becker – 37:50.6

Team Results
1. SUNY Geneseo – 68
2. RPI – 83
3. Ithaca – 102
4. Rochester – 122
5. Vassar – 168
6. RIT – 174
7. St. Lawrence – 209
8. Hamilton – 227
9. SUNY New Paltz – 287
10. NYU – 293
11. Clarkson – 331
12. Ramapo – 381
13. TCNJ – 386
14. Rowan – 388
15. SUNY Cortland – 428
16. Stevens – 509
17. Houghton – 520
18. Brockport – 535
19. Stockton – 556
20. St. John Fisher – 564
21. William Smith – 598
22. Nazareth – 697
23. U.S. Merchant Marine – 702
24. Utica – 721
25. Buffalo State – 735
26. SUNY Oneonta – 759
27. St. Joseph's (L.I.) – 783
28. Oswego State – 828
29. Sage – 877
30. SUNY Cobleskill – 913
31. Union – 920
32. SUNY Potsdam – 1,021
33. Bard – 1,027
34. Lehman – 1,068
35. Hartwick – 1,092
36. Keuka – 1,109
37. Elmira – 1,163
38. Baruch – 1,264