NORTHFIELD, Minn. – The No. 27-ranked St. Olaf College women's cross country team won the Ole 5K Opener and had eight of the top-11 finishers at the season-opening race on Friday evening at St. Olaf Cross Country Course.

St. Olaf used a 2-3-4-7-8 finish from its top five to total 24 points to finish atop the five-team field by a 26-point margin over second-place Macalester College. The race was run in hot and humid conditions with a feels-like temperature in the mid-90s. The Oles were ranked No. 27 in the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) Preseason Poll last week.

Juniors Louisa Lamarre, Arabella England, and Abi Lindquist finished 2-3-4, respectively, to pace St. Olaf. Lamarre was the runner-up in 19:04.0, followed closely by England in 19:05.7, with Lindquist next to cross the line in 19:14.5.

Junior Lizzy Weider (7th, 19:52.5), first year Stella Powell (8th, 19:53.6), senior Molly DiNardo (9th, 19:55.1), sophomore Magda Wilper (10th, 19:55.8), and first year Mary Clare Nussbaum (11th, 19:58.6) were all separated by just over six seconds, while first year Linnea Ronning was also in the top 15 in 13th (20:04.7).

The Oles will host their annual Alumni 5K Meet on Saturday, Sept. 12 at 10 a.m.