ROCHESTER, N.Y. -- The Elmira College women's cross country team opened the 2019 race season with a short-course meet on Friday evening, as the Soaring Eagles competed in the 2019 Terry Rodenbeck Invitational, hosted by St. John Fisher College.

As a team, the Purple and Gold finished ninth in the 10-team field with a combined score of 260. EC finished a mere two points shy of Empire 8 Conference rival Alfred University (258), but the Soaring Eagles topped Corning Community College (278) by 18 points. SUNY Geneseo (28) and Rochester Institute of Technology (33) finished first and second, respectively.

In the 4,000-meter event, junior Claire Preisch '21 and first-year runner Emma MacDowell '23 were Elmira's top pair, as they crossed the finish line a half-second apart. Preisch placed 63rd out of 124 individuals with a time of 18:21.60, followed by MacDowell in 64th place at 18:22.10.

Ashley Naples '22 was clocked at 19:42.70 in her first collegiate competition, good enough for 94th place. Rounding out the pack for the Soaring Eagles were freshmen Danielle Knapp '23 (100th, 20:48.50), Gabrielle Stemmer (108th, 21:29.00), and Mackenzie Becker '23 (118th, 23:20.90).

In the men's 6,000-meter race, Elmira's Owen Rose '22 navigated the course in 23:54.00 and took 73rd out of 98 runners.

Elmira Women's Results
63 – Claire Preisch – 18:21.60
64 – Emma MacDowell – 18:22.10
94 – Ashley Naples – 19:42.70
100 – Danielle Knapp – 20:48.50
108 – Gabrielle Stemmer – 21:29.00
118 – Mackenzie Becker – 23:20.90

Team Results

1. SUNY Geneseo – 28
2. RIT – 33
3. St. John Fisher – 93
4. Nazareth – 121
5. Houghton – 123
6. Rochester – 135
7. Alfred State – 246
8. Alfred – 258
9. Elmira – 260
10. Corning C.C. – 278

Up Next
On Saturday, September 7, the Soaring Eagles will visit nearby Alfred, New York, to participate in the Alfred University Invitational. The race begins at 11:00 a.m.