The Saints women harriers battled MIAC rivals in hot, humid conditions, led by 2024 All-MIAC runner, Regan Niemi (Bemidji, MN/Bemidji HS), leading the way in 10^th place, with a time of 23:12.5 for the 6km course on the Highland Park Golf Course in St. Paul.  The meet served as a preview for the 2025 MIAC Championship.
Carlton's nationally-tested star, Hannah Preisser, ran away with the win by 25 seconds over Molly Liston of Gustavus.  Preisser's new freshman teammate, Claire Vukovics, running on her home high school course, finished third in 22:09 to take the final individual podium spot, and lead a trio of Knights behind her in 5^th, 6^th, and 7^th, which led to a dominant team win, posting just 19 points.
Macalester grabbed places 8 and 9 to lead the Scots to second with 68 points.
The Saints' Niemi had company in teammate Maj-Lis Helmer (Duluth, MN/Duluth East HS) as they hit the 3k in 9^th and 10^th, with their five scorers holding down 3^rd as a team at the half-way mark, 22 points clear of Gustavus, and 12 shy of Macalester in second.  Maj-Lis Helmer (Duluth, MN/Duluth East HS) ran half of the 6km on the shoulder of teammate Niemi when the heat got her. Helmer fought to the finish despite fading dramatically, staving off delirium to ultimately cross the finish line in 21^st place in 24:10.8.  While Helmer struggled though, her teammates rallied behind her.  Abby Wood (Circle Pines, MN/Centennial HS) ran her finest collegiate 6km, blistering her 2^nd trip around the 3km course, 41 seconds faster the second trip around than the first, and posted the 11^th fastest second loop in the field, to move up 10 spots from the halfway mark and cross the finish line in 18^thplace as the second Saints scorer, with a new 6k personal best of 24:03.9.  The 6k freshman debuts of Kaia Osmundson (Chisago Lakes, MN/Chisago Lakes HS) (24:14.4) and Della Bettendorf (Proctor, MN/Proctor HS) (24:24.1) in 23^rd and 27^th respectively, gave the Saints 99 points on the day, taking 4^th behind Gustavus with 90 points in third.
"I was pleasantly surprised at the form and grit we showed today as a team," said head coach, Chad Salmela.  
He didn't expect his team to really be in a place to challenge this week, and was focusing on the team warming up better and learning pacing a 6k again for returners, and just figuring it out for the freshmen.  Stepping off the bus into a tropical 82-degrees with 70% humidity, Salmela adjusted his expectations even more.  
"I got on the bus in 58-degree fog in Duluth in a hoody to keep warm," He said with a long line at the porta potties had  to "jump into the woods" to change out of his sweat pants into shorts to try to stay cool.  He adjusted his expectations further, then "almost choked" when the Saints women were in 3^rd place at 3k, 24 points up on Gustavus and just 9 back of Macalester.  "I really wasn't expecting that from the circumstances.  Sometimes you get nice surprises in this sport." He was plenty pleased with the final result.
The Saints go into training mode for the remainder of September and will return to action in October for two mega meets likely to influence NCAA at-large bids to nationals, starting with UW Eau Claire Blugold Invitational on October 3^rd, and the Augustan Interregional Invitational October 18^th.