The William & Mary women's cross country team cruised to the team win on Friday night at the W&M Invitational, opening the regular season by putting 10 runners into the top-11 finishes.  The Tribe totaled 18 points for the victory in the four-team field, easily out-pacing Christopher Newport (55 points), Maryland-Eastern Shore (84), and Hampton (100).

Complete Results

Leading the way for W&M was redshirt-junior Liv Paxton (Rock Hill, S.C.), who won for the first time while wearing the green and gold.  Paxton completed the 5K course in 18:36.79.  Close behind was junior Lauren Finikiotis (Gibsonia, Pa.), who finished second in 18:47.73.  Freshman Emma Rogers (Roanoke, Va.) was fourth overall and third on the team in 19:04.92, with redshirt-sophomore Taylor D. Jones (Virginia Beach, Va.) rounding out the top-five in 19:30.53.  Megan Kolbe (Doylestown, Pa.) was fifth for W&M and sixth overall in 19:44.98 to finish the scoring, coming in a step ahead of freshman Megan Dougherty (Sinking Spring, Pa.) who was seventh in 19:45.32.  Redshirt-junior Deirdre Lewin (Rockville Centre, N.Y.) finished the varsity seven in eighth place overall, crossing the finish line in 19:46.54.

Notes
Paxton's win was her first in cross country for W&M, and second overall ... She also won the 5,000m at the JDL DMR Invitational in February of 2019 ... Through two races early in the season, W&M is 6-1 overall ... Paxton and Finikiotis are tied for the team lead with 13 points and a 6.5 point average in the first two races ... Rogers has finished third for W&M in each of her first two career races.

Up Next
William & Mary has the next two weeks off, and will return to racing on Friday, September 27, with the Panorama Farms Invitational in Charlottesville, Va.  In addition to providing great competition, the meet will also allow the Tribe to preview this year's regional championship course.

60th Annual W&M Cross Country Invitational - 5K
Dunbar Farms Course - Williamsburg, Va.

Team Standings
1. William & Mary 18
2. Christopher Newport 55
3. Maryland-Eastern Shore 84
4. Hampton 100

Top Five Finishers
1. Liv Paxton (W&M) 18:36.79
2. Lauren Finikiotis (W&M) 18:47.73
3. Aurelia Jepkorir (UMES) 18:53.94
4. Emma Rogers (W&M) 19:04.92
5. Taylor D. Jones (W&M) 19:30.53

Other W&M Finishers
6. Megan Kolbe 19:44.98
7. Megan Dougherty 19:45.32
8. Deirdre Lewin 19:46.54
9. Kaycee Cox-Philyaw 19:51.45
10. Hope Stephens 20:02.31
11. Rachel Snyder 20:07.30
14. Julia Lambert 20:23.48
17. Anna Cestari 21:06.49