WELLESLEY, Mass. – Wellesley College cross country was victorious in the annual season-opening 5k Wellesley Invitational at Nehoiden Golf Club on Friday night. The Blue won the five team event with a winning score of 20, and had eight out of the top-10 finishers in a 50 runner field.

Bentley University came in second in team competition with 50 points, followed by Springfield College (67), Mount Holyoke College (120) and Simmons University (155).

Sophomore Cadence Chang (Boston, Mass.) was Wellesley's leader, taking second place overall with a final time of 19:12.3. First-years Paige McGaraghan (Menlo Park, Calif.) (3rd - 19:40.8), Nina Letts (Bryn Mawr, Pa.) (4th - 19:45.2), and sophomores Zoë Cort (San Francisco, Calif.) (5th - 19:59.8) and Dylan Burmeister (Nobleboro, Maine) (6th - 20:00.3) were the next four finishers.

Also taking top-10 places was senior Perry Huang Kemper (Boise, Idaho) (8th - 20:15.8), sophomore Sophia Trabuco (Rochester, Minn.) (9th - 20:18.8) and junior Leeya Rice (Closter, N.J.) (10th - 20:24.9).

Rounding out Wellesley's runners was first-year Lilah Connor (Yarmouth, Maine) (11th - 20:28.1), senior Julia Sun (Chappaqua, N.Y.) (12th - 20:29.9), sophomore Avery Lieb (Ojai, Calif.) (13th - 20:30.3), first-year Michelle Su (Winchester, Mass.) (14th - 20:33.9), first-year Theo Wilkinson (Lewisburg, Pa.) (16th - 20:42.3), sophomore Bela Kumar (Natick, Mass.) (19th - 20:51.2), first-year Sienna Franich (Mission Viejo, Calif.) (21st - 21:00.7) and junior Adelaide Maguire (Oakland, Calif.) (38th - 23:14.5).

Next up, the Blue make the trip to Wenham, Mass. to take part in the Pop Crowell Invite on Saturday, September 19.