X-Women claim first cross country meet of 2024

The 2024 Acadia University cross country invitational, held at Hennigar's Farm, saw intense competition in the women's 8k run. Sophie Black from the Moncton Aigles Bleues took the top spot with a time of 31:47.

Following closely behind was Poppy Moon of the St. Francis Xavier X-Women, finishing just six seconds after Black with a time of 31:53. Moon's performance was solid and strong, and she managed to secure second place with the same time as her teammate, Caroline Ash. Ash crossed the line right with Moon at 31:53, earning third place. Their synchronized effort was a highlight of the race and contributed significantly to StFX's overall success.

The team competition saw StFX dominate, finishing with 23 points.

Their top-five finishers placed consistently in the upper ranks, with Moon (2nd), Ash (3rd), Eileen Benoit (5th, 32:03), Caden Lee (6th, 32:04), and Allie Sandluck (7th, 32:04) leading the charge. StFX's total time was 2:39:57, averaging 31:59 per runner.

The Dalhousie Tigers claimed second place in the team rankings with 66 points. Their runners, led by Breanna Sandluck, who finished 8th with a time of 32:06, showed strong consistency. Other key contributors included Molly Pert (13th, 32:43) and Zoe Doorenspleet (14th, 32:50). The Tigers finished with a total time of 2:43:56, averaging 32:47 per runner.

UPEI Panthers rounded out the top three in the team standings, securing third place with 76 points. Anna Harris led the team with a fourth-place finish at 31:56, followed by Grace Richard (11th, 32:22) and Katie Richard (12th, 32:34). UPEI's total time was 2:48:12, averaging 33:38 per runner.

The next meet on the cross country calendar is September 21 at StFX.