Women's Cross Country | 9/21/2013 5:08:00 PM

FULL RESULTS

HOUGHTON, N.Y. - It was a record-setting kind of day for freshman runner Mackenzie Donahue (East Aurora, N.Y./East Aurora) as she out-raced the entire field at the Highlander Invitational hosted by Houghton College today on its campus.  Donahue not only picked up the first win of her career, but set a new school record for the 5K distance, finishing the race in 18:37.03.

Rochester Institute of Technology took top honors in the team standings placing its all five of its scorers in the top 16.  Daemen finished in fifth out of eight competing teams.

Wet and sloppy conditions that muddied the course were difficult for the 105 participants to deal with, but it didn't bother Donahue much, according to second-year head coach Jessica Gorski.  Donahue, the reigning East Coast Conference Rookie of the Week, took the lead right out of the gates and kept opening it up the entire race.

The previous school record for a 5K race was held by Amy Farner (Collins, N.Y./Gowanda) who ran it in 18:54.11 at the Saratoga Invitational held at Saratoga Springs State Park on Oct. 20, 2007.

Freshman Hannah Rice (East Aurora, N.Y./East Aurora) was next in for Daemen, finishing in 17th with a time of 19:47.65.  Right on her heels with an 18th place finish (19:48.92) was sophomore Jordan Weir (Cato, N.Y./Cato-Meridian).

Sophomore Brooke Nolan (Depew, N.Y./Depew) and junior Noelle Thompson (Vestal, N.Y./Vestal) rounded out the scorers for the Wildcats.  Nolan finished in 48th (20:55.42) while Thompson came in 52nd (21:00.46).

Daemen is back in action next Saturday (Sept. 28) when they travel to Roberts Wesleyan College for the Harry F. Anderson Invitational.