SMITHFIELD, R.I. – Wheaton College (Mass.) senior Jaz Vanderhoof (Portland, Maine) placed 23rd overall and second among NCAA Division III runners to lead the women's cross country team to a sixth-place finish this morning at the Shawn M. Nassaney Invitational hosted by Bryant University on its campus in Smithfield, R.I.

Bryant won the team title with 36 points, led by junior Jasmine Trott (Garforth, Leeds, U.K.), who finished first with a time of 17:54.20 in the five-kilometer trek. The Bulldogs also boasted the second and fourth-place finishers.

Vanderhoof turned in a time of 19:30.20 for the Lyons. Wheaton tallied 186 points as a team.

Sophomore Abby Wozniak (Blackstone, Mass.) placed 46th overall and seventh for DIII runners with a time of 20:35.90 to shave 1:24 off her personal-best time for the Lyons. First year Ellie Gilman (Brunswick, Maine) clocked in at 21:58.60 to finish 63rd overall. Senior Abby Martin (Keene, N.H.) and first year Norah McLeod (Arundel, Maine) were virtually step for step as they finished. Martin was 70th with a mark of 22:43.30 and McLeod finished next at 22:43.90 to round out the scoring for Wheaton.

Sophomore Maggie Cizmar (Plymouth, Mass.) placed 74th with a clip of 23:03.80 and first year Sophia Woodcock (Warrington, Pa.) was right behind her with a time of 23:07.90. Sophomore Niyati Hotha (South Brunswick, N.J.) showed the most improvement of any Lyon runner for the day, shattering her previous best by 1:32 with a time of 23:22.70 to finish 76th overall. First year Caeli Wagner (Hingham, Mass.) was not far behind at 23:54.00 to come in at 79th. 

Wheaton first year Kaylin Emerson (New Boston, N.H.) crossed the line at 27:00.20 in 87th place, before junior Annabelle Sanders (Miami, Fla.) finished 91st with a time of 28:33.90.

The Lyons run again on Saturday, September 20 when they head to Dartmouth, Mass. to compete in the UMass Dartmouth Invitational at 12:00 p.m.