NORTHFIELD, Minn. – Regan Niemi (Bemidji, MN/Bemidji HS), Abby Wood (Circle Pines, MN/Centennial HS) and Katelyn Torrel (Gilbert, MN/Virginia/Rock Ridge HS) each recorded their second-fastest career 6-kilometer times as the St. Scholastica women's cross country team competed in the Navy Championship race at Saturday's Pre-Nationals meet at Carleton College's Bill Huyck Championship Course.

The 35-team field featured seven of the nation's top 10 NCAA Division III women's teams, providing a preview of the NCAA Division III Championships, which return to the course November 21. The Saints earned a place in the championship field after finishing third at the Toni St. Pierre Invitational on September 18 and climbing to ninth in the USTFCCCA North Region rankings.

Niemi paced St. Scholastica with a 63rd-place finish in 22:35.6. Wood finished 151st in 23:23.1, followed closely by Torrel, who crossed the line in 153rd at 23:23.6. Grace McCormick (Duluth, MN/Denfeld HS) was the Saints' fourth scorer in 23:49.6.

Sophia Bertonneau (Leadville, CO/Summit HS) rounded out the scoring five in her Saints scoring debut, finishing 266th in 24:30.1. Her time marked a 15-second improvement on her previous personal best.

St. Scholastica held either 31st or 32nd place at each recorded checkpoint, finishing fourth among MIAC teams and ninth among North Region programs in the field.

Second-ranked Williams won the team title with 79 points, followed by seventh-ranked UW-La Crosse with 141 and third-ranked Johns Hopkins with 176. Vassar's Sophie Schoenegge claimed the individual title in 21:07.1, ahead of Williams' Sophie Capozzi in 21:17.4 and Colorado College's Charlie Flint in 21:26.4.

The Saints have a weekend off before returning to competition October 17 at the Interregional in Rock Island, Illinois, and the Autumn Classic.