COLFAX, Wis. -- Mary Kenney placed 41^st individually to lead the College of Saint Benedict cross country team at the highly competitive Blugold Invite which was held on Friday (Oct. 3) at the Whitetail Golf Course.

The Bennies finished 22nd overall out of 36 teams, scoring 561 points in the meet that featured 337 individual runners.

Pacing Saint Ben's was senior Mary Kenney, who led the team with an impressive 41st-place finish. Kenney clocked a time of 23:34.9, navigating the challenging course and deep field with confidence and consistency.

Behind her, Julia Babineau, a junior, crossed the line in 24:27.7, placing 112th overall. Senior Rachel Olinger followed not far behind in 144th place, setting a personal best with the same time of 24:46.6.

Other results for CSB include senior Natalie Zielsdorf (161st, 24:58.2), junior Anabella Witschen (171st, 25:07.6), junior Abby Bufkin (193rd, 25:29.3), and sophomore Mollie Ping (199th, 25:34.4).

The team title went to No. 16 UW-La Crosse, whose depth proved too much for the competition, scoring 117 points with five runners placing in the top 34. No. 27 UW-Eau Claire followed close behind with 132 points, while NCAA DII Minnesota-Duluth (147 points) and No. 11 Carleton (172 points) rounded out the top four.

Individually, the race belonged to Claire Vukovics, who claimed the win with a time of 21:45.7, topping the field of over 300 runners.

With the Blugold Invite now in the books, the Bennies turn their attention west as they prepare for the George Oja Invitational in Salem, Oregon, on Saturday, Oct. 18. From there, all focus shifts to the postseason and the MIAC Cross Country Championship, set for Saturday, Nov. 1 at Highlands Golf Course in St. Paul.