Diana Clock/The Hoya Georgetown runners led the way Saturday at the George Washington Invitational.

CENTREVILLE, Va. – It took a surprisingly short amount of time last weekend for the storm clouds that hovered over Georgetown’s No. 2 women’s cross country team to lift.

Less than 24 hours after placing a disappointing sixth on a muddy, rain-soaked course at the Great American Cross Country Festival on Friday night, a different group of Georgetown athletes came out to shine on a picturesque Saturday morning at the George Washington Invitational. The collection of mostly freshmen and middle-distance runners avenged the loss of the night before – Georgetown’s first regular season defeat since Oct. 14, 2000 – by stacking four scorers into the top 10 and trouncing the meet’s 16-team field.

Junior Rose Wetzel claimed the individual title, and freshman Kim Malcolm finished third overall to lead the Hoyas to a dominating 22-point victory over second place finisher Virginia. James Madison (97), George Washington (148) and Albany (151) comprised the rest of the top five.

“I was very pleased with Rose and Kim,” Director of Track and Field and Cross Country Ron Helmer said. “They went out and established themselves early, in a very competitive manner and worked hard the rest of the race. I thought they did a really, really nice job.”

Wetzel and Malcolm exhibited both control and consistency, finding their way to the front early and remaining in the lead pack for the entire contest.

“I felt really comfortable,” Wetzel said. “It was a nice, flat course – the kind I like – and I felt good the whole way. We went out pretty relaxed, and things started picking up around the second mile.”

Holding third place at the midway point, Wetzel eventually broke into the lead, and completed the 5,000m course in 18 minutes, 16 seconds. Malcolm finished third in 18:39. Senior Allison Snyder, who placed fifth, and 8th place finisher freshman Erin Henry solidified the team victory.

“We had a good race plan,” Snyder said. “After going out conservative, we put the pressure on and started picking people off one by one. We all stuck together and competed hard, and everything turned out right as planned.”

While that particular group made Saturday morning’s George Washington Invitational look like a cakewalk, the Great American Cross Country Festival on Friday night was not quite as accommodating to the Hoyas. Battling both the physical elements and top-rate competition, the team placed an unexpected sixth out of 26 schools. No. 1-ranked Brigham Young won the meet with 50 points, and Columbia (155), NC State (157), North Carolina (164) and Arkansas (167) rounded out the top five.

Although it was, for the most part, a drab and dreary day, the meet was not without its bright spots. Sophomore Nicole Lee led the Hoyas in her season debut with a 15th place finish, and sophomore Jodee Adams-Moore and junior Sarah Scholl turned in other solid efforts, both placing in the top 25 of the vast 174-runner field.

“Nicole, Jodee and Sarah had tremendous races,” Assistant Coach Juli Henner said. “They ran very, very well, especially considering that we haven’t even begun any quality interval work and that they haven’t rested at all.”

The team also ran with just six athletes as opposed to the standard seven, and was without the services of junior Amanda Pape and seniors Marni Kruppa and Jill Laurendeau – three of the team’s top runners – who all sat the race out to continue preparation for meets later in the season.

“As competitive as Coach Helmer and I are, getting sixth is tough to take, but like we’ve said all along, November is what we’re gearing towards,” Henner said.

Next Saturday, the team will travel to Stillwater, Okla., for the Oklahoma State Cowboy Jamboree. Georgetown won the event last year, and will be joined next week by Laurendeau and Pape, who will both be competing in their first meet of the year.