Packed together, women's cross country places 7th at NESCACs
October 27, 2007

Abby Samuelson '10

Allie Goldstein '09

Aviva Goldstein '08

Jennifer Mitton '11

Esther Kendall '10

Katie Bash '10

Molly Balentine '08
WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. -- Balance and grittiness carried the Bates College women's cross country team to seventh place out of 11 teams at the NESCAC Women's Cross Country Championships on Saturday, hosted by Williams College at Mt. Greylock High School.

Bates' top seven runners finished between 43rd and 76th places, good enough for 220 points to nip Wesleyan University (225) and Connecticut College (227) for the Bobcats' second consecutive seventh-place team score at NESCACs. The Bobcats also placed ahead of Trinity (260) and Hamilton (286).

Sophomore Abby Samuelson (Freeport, Maine) crossed the finish line first for Bates, covering the 6-kilometer course in 24:05.97. The rest of the Bobcats came fast and furious behind Samuelson, with junior Allie Goldstein (Needham, Mass.) in 47th at 24:14.30, senior Aviva Goldstein (Manchester, N.H.) in 50th at 24:15.77, first-year Jennifer Mitton (Reisterstown, Md.) in 52nd at 24:21.63, sophomore Esther Kendall (Ridgeway, Ontario) in 64th at 24:33.21, sophomore Katie Bash (Wallingford, Pa.) in 75th at 24:51.83 and senior Molly Balentine (Hampden, Maine) in 76th at 24:52.52.

While Tufts finished well ahead of Bates for sixth place with 126 points, the fourth through seventh Bates runners all placed ahead of their Jumbo counterparts.

Bates returns to the same course next Saturday for the ECAC Division III Championships.

Meet results