Strong performances by first-year runners Lauren Iagnemma and Ashley Novak led the Case Western Reserve University women's cross country team to a third-place finish out of 20 teams at the Mike Woods Invitation at the National Warplane Museum in Geneseo, New York on Saturday.

The Spartans finished the competition with a team score of 96 points. Top-ranked Geneseo won the team title with a score of 15, followed by 24^th-ranked Dickinson with 85 points. Finishing behind the Spartans were 14^th-ranked Middlebury (109 points) and Allegheny (136 points)

Iagnemma was the first Spartan to cross the finish line of the women's 6K race, placing 11^th out of 274 runners. Running her first collegiate race at the distance, Iagnemma notched a time of 22:50.4, the fastest 6K time recorded by a Spartan runner this season.

Novak recorded her season-best 6K time with a mark of 23:11.0, crossing the finish line in 17^th place. Junior Grace Jackson added a career-best time of 23:33.4, finishing 29^th overall, while first-year Ayla Grabenbauer placed 33^rd with a mark of 23:39.2. Rounding out the team's top-five runners was senior Julia Kocherzat, who finished in 36^th-place with a time of 23:41.0.

Completing the Spartans' top seven finishers were junior Sierra Williams in 39^th place with a time of 23:43.6 and senior Catherine Phillips in 40^th place with a mark of 23:45.1. Other Spartans to compete on Saturday included junior Jessica Kwasny (74^th, 24:46.8), senior Melissa Phung (84^th, 24:40.8), first-year Libby Mailloux (94^th, 24:53.1), sophomore Mandy Lam (105^th, 25:03.0), sophomore Marquis Globokar (108^th, 25:07.9), and first-year Anna Avila (116^th, 25:18.1).

Geneseo junior Kathleen McCarey won the race with a time of 21:11.8.

The Spartans will host their annual Alumni Meet at the Squire Valleevue Farm next Saturday, before returning to intercollegiate competition at the Oberlin Inter-Regional Rumble on Saturday, October 15.