HUGHESVILLE, Md. - The 2024 season started for the Gallaudet University women's cross country team here Friday afternoon at Oak Ridge State Park. The Bison finished seventh overall in the Seahawk Classic hosted by St. Mary's College of Maryland.

The meet was a preview of the 2024 United East Conference cross country championship course. The championship will be on Nov. 2.

Gallaudet finished seventh with 166 team points as five runners participated and finished. St. Mary's (Md.) won the meet with 27 team points. Lancaster Bible College placed second with 63 points followed by Cairn University (66), University of Valley Forge (110), Penn State Harrisburg(146) and Bryn Athyn College (160). 

Cairn sophomore Clarisse Hayden won the 6K race with a time of 26 minutes, 51.9 seconds out of 52 runners.

First year Lou Cherena (El Paso, Texas) was Gallaudet's first runner to cross the finish line 29th overall with a time of 36:00.7. First year Liberty Morales-Juan (Oklahoma City, Okla.) was the second Bison to finish in 38th place with a time of 43:12.1 followed by the team's only veteran in junior Olivia Armstrong (Rotterdam, N.Y.) in 41th place (43:44.7). The final two runners to finish included first year Haylie Kircher (Louisville, Ky.) in 43rd place (46:24.9) and first year Thu Nguyen (San Bernardino, Calif.) took 47th overall (48:53.4).

UP NEXT
Gallaudet will travel to Lancaster, Pa., for the Charger Invitational hosted by Lancaster Bible College next Friday, Sept. 20.