The Georgetown women’s cross-country team delivered a powerful performance, winning first place in the Spider-Patriot Cross Country Classic on Feb. 20. Overcoming a tiebreaker challenge with a speedy University of Connecticut squad, Georgetown made the most of a chilly 5-kilometer race day in Mechanicsville, Va.

In a competitive field, seven Georgetown runners finished in the top 25. Junior Sami Corman earned first place overall, and a personal college best, with a time of 16:55.8. Sophomore Maggie Donahue finished hot on Corman’s heels and snagged third place with a time of 17:00.2. Rounding out the top 10 for the Hoyas, junior Katie Dammer posted a 17:24.9 time to earn seventh place.

Georgetown faced a major threat throughout the day from its intraconference rivals the UConn Huskies. At the end of the day, both teams had tallied 42 points, with the Huskies also producing seven top-25 finishers. The Hoyas came out on top, however, and had an average 5K time of 17:18, further clearing third-place finisher Iona College by a 72-point margin.

This early season win puts the women’s team in a powerful position as it moves into conference play March 5. After being ranked No. 20 in the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association’s National Coaches’ Poll this preseason, the squad is looking to capitalize on this early success to solidify its position in the rankings.

Director Alton McKenzie (GSB ’93) expressed his pride in the team’s season debut. He praised the grit and determination of each runner, as well as the dedication of Assistant Coach Mitchell Baker.

“This [win] lessens the pressure moving forward,” McKenzie said in an interview with The Hoya. “Since we haven’t competed in so long, this boosts confidence and gives us a good indicator of what we need to do to adjust and prepare for the Big East championships. I also want to congratulate Coach Baker on having the women ready to run fast.” 

Looking ahead to Big East competition, both the Georgetown men’s and women’s teams are hard at work training to maintain their league standings. The men’s squad was also featured in the National Coaches’ Poll, being ranked No. 25 coming into the season. Georgetown was the only school in the Big East to have both the men’s and women’s squads featured in the top 30.

McKenzie is confident in the abilities of his athletes to compete in whatever weather conditions may arise, noting the need for adaptability and continued focus. Both Georgetown cross-country teams will hit the road again March 5 to compete in the Big East Cross Country Championships in Cary, N.C.