WHEATON, Ill. - The Carroll University women's cross country team competed at the Gill Dodds Invitational on Saturday morning at St. James Park in Wheaton, Illinois, placing 13th out of 18 teams in a deep and competitive field.

Hana Smith led the Pioneers with a time of 24:51.20, finishing 63rd overall in the 6-kilometer race. She was followed by Paola Orozco (26:00.30), Sarah Tinder (26:05.80), Brooke Davies (26:08.00), and Rebecca Barnes (26:16.10), who completed Carroll's scoring five. Abby Burie (26:33.10) and Kyla Laabs (26:42.70) also contributed as displacers.

Carroll finished with a team score of 393 points and a total time of 2:09:21.40, averaging 25:52.28 per runner. The meet featured strong performances from nationally ranked programs, including the University of Chicago, which swept the top four individual spots and won the team title with just 17 points.

The race provided valuable experience for Carroll's young roster as they continue to build toward the championship portion of the season. With several runners finishing within a tight pack, the Pioneers showed depth and potential for improvement in future meets.

Carroll will return to action at the Blue-Gold Invite on October 3rd in Colfax, Wis. at 4:15pm as they look to tontinue building its pack running and climb the team standings as the season progresses.