SALISBURY, N.C.- The NC Wesleyan women's Cross Country team traveled to Catawba College in Salisbury, NC for their first race of the season on Saturday, and they performed admirably.  The women raced second after the men and the distance they ran was a 5K (3.2 miles).

The women's team ran a challenging course and finished 10th out of 12 teams, while beating 2 conference opponents, Peace & Averett, and just a couple points behind a NJCAA team that finished 7th at the national championships last season. The women were also 4th out of 6 USA South teams competing. Host Catawba won the women's meet as well edging out Belmont Abbey & Methodist.

The women's team was led by senior Sarah Grossman who ran 1 minute faster than she ran the year previous on the same course.  She ended up placing 45th out of 91 in 26:35.

She was followed up by freshman Olivia Pittman in 50th place in 27:22 and Alyssa Donaldson who was 55th in 28 minutes flat. Sophomore Alexandra Cucinotta finished the race as the women's 4th runner, as this was her 1st experience as a cross country runner finishing in 60th overall in 29:17.  Senior Hannah Ivester finished as the women's 5th runner, and completed the team's scoring with a strong finish to her run. She placed 72nd in 31:22.

Also competing were sophomore Maria Gaspar, freshman Michelle Sackney-Ansah, and sophomore Samantha Valeros. Gaspar finished right behind Ivester in 31:51 while Sackney-Ansah ran 32:57 and Valeros finished in 33:14. 

The women are next competing at the Adidas Challenge on Sept. 14 at 5PM at the WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary, N.C.