Colby edges Bates in women's Class Wave cross country races

Bates runners come together before their junior/senior Class Wave Race against Colby on Sept. 12, 2015. (Jay Hartshorn)

NEW GLOUCESTER, Maine -- New England's eighth-ranked Division III women's cross country team, Colby, nudged host and 10th-ranked Bates in both Class Wave Races on Saturday at Pineland Farms, winning by a cumulative 58-52 count in modified scoring to open the 2015 season.

The annual meet pits both rivals' juniors and seniors against one another and first-years and sophomores in the other, with the top seven finishers scoring points, with higher score winning.

Colby edged Bates 28-27 in the junior/senior race, despite Bates taking three of the top four places. The Mules defeated the Bobcats 30-25 in the first-year/sophomore race.

Bates junior Jessica Wilson (Cumberland, Maine) had the second fastest time in the junior/senior race, and the second fastest on the day, finishing the 2.84-mile course in 17:08, seven seconds behind race winner Alanna McDonough, a senior from Colby.

Senior Isabelle Unger (Charlotte, Vt.) came in third (17:30) and junior Molly Chisholm (Wayland, Mass.) placed fourth (17:35) for the Bobcats, well ahead of the next pack. Bates senior Julia Fisher (Philadelphia, Pa.) placed ninth (18:13), followed by senior Addie Cullenberg (Farmington, Maine) in 10th (18:21), senior Ellie Miller (Potomac, Md.) in 13th (19:10) and junior Ashley Pollack (Port Washington, N.Y.) 14th (19:23), rounding out Bates' scoring.

Sophomore Katherine Cooke (South Burlington, Vt.) placed second overall in the first-year/sophomore race, finishing the 2.84-mile course in 17:42, with first-year teammate Sarah Rothmann (Andover, Mass.) a second behind her in third place. Colby sophomore Taylor Kennedy won in 17:11.

First-year Hannah Austin (North Yarmouth, Maine) was Bates' third finisher, seventh overall, in 18:06, followed by sophomore Mary Szatkoswki (Buxton, Maine) in eighth (18:20), first-year Katie Barker (Burlington, Vt.) in 10th (18:32). First-year Wendy Memishian (Medway, Mass.) was 17th (19:38) and sophomore Courtney Porfido (Ramsey, N.J.) was 18th (19:49).

Bates returns to Pineland to host the Bates Invitational next Saturday.