EDINBORO, Pa. -- Graduate students Camryn Bailey (Geneva, N.Y.) and Courtney Merrill (Indianapolis, Ind.) posted top-10 finishes to lead the Daemen University women's cross country team at the Doug Watts Open hosted by Edinboro University today. It marked the Wildcats' first meet of the 2024 season as they placed third among the six competing teams.

FULL RESULTS

Bailey, the East Coast Conference Preseason Runner of the Year, finished the 5K race in 19:15.50, placing eighth out of 54 total competitors - her fourth top-10 finish since the start of the 2023 season. Merrill was hot on her heels, finishing ninth with a time of 19:16.20. For Merrill, it marked the 10th time in her career that she recorded a top-10 finish, and her first since the 2022 ECC Championship. 

Junior Patsy Oberholzer (Greece, N.Y.) opened the season with a top-20 finish, placing 18th with a time of 20:14.80. She was followed by classmate Christa Oates (Tonawanda, N.Y.) who crossed the finish line in 20:31.20 to place 22nd.

Newcomer Lia Brasacchio (Victor, N.Y.) rounded out the scorers for Daemen, placing 24th with a time of 20:33.80.

The Wildcats totaled 81 points in the team standings, placing behind team medalist Slippery Rock University (35 points) and the host Edinboro Fighting Scots (53 points). Slippery Rock's Anna Igims paced the meet field, followed by teammate Ruthie Hughes. The Rock placed four total runners among the top 10 finishers.

Today's race marked Daemen's first appearance at the Doug Watts Open since 2019 - five years ago to the day - when they placed seventh out of 11 teams.

Daemen returns 11 runners from last year's squad which placed second at the ECC Championship and fifth at the East Region Championship. Bailey, Merrill, Oberholzer and senior Emma Cain (Lockport, N.Y.) headline the returners after garnering All-ECC recognition in 2023. The Wildcats open the season ranked fourth in the U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) East Region poll.

The Wildcats return to racing next Saturday, Sept. 14 when they host the Daemen Alumni Invitational at Williamsville's Bassett Park.

Daemen University features the premier NCAA Division II athletics program in the Buffalo-Niagara region, sponsoring 17 intercollegiate teams. For the latest information on Daemen Athletics, follow the Wildcats via social media on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and Instagram, or sign up to receive customizable news alerts, e-mail newsletters and weekly schedule alerts.