Results 

ITHACA, N.Y. - The Big Red women's cross country team kicked off the fall season on Friday with its traditional dual meet against the Military Academy at Cornell's Moakley Course.  And the No. 10 nationally ranked Big Red got off to a promising start, winning both the team and individual competitions.  Cornell was assertive from the start, ultimately taking the first 15 places in a 15-50 sweep of Army.

Senior co-captains Rachel Sorna and Emmy Shearer were 1-2 throughout the race.  Sorna powered to a very impressive 17:20.4 for the 5000 meters, over 35 seconds faster than the course record for a non-Gorge Moakley Course set by Katie Kellner '13 in 2011.  Shearer looked very strong and fully recovered from injury that curtailed her outdoor track season; despite a wrong turn she finished second in 18:00.6. 

Freshman Taylor Spillane had a terrific college debut, moving up throughout the race to place third in an outstanding 18:02.1.  Sophomore Kristen Niedrach had a big breakthrough to place fourth in 18:04.6 for a big PR and senior Liz Simpson rounded out the Big Red top five with a stellar race, crossing the line in 18:10.1.  Sophomore Claire DeVoe was in Cornell's top seven for the first time in her career, running 18:13.9 for sixth and junior Marianne Collard had a good start to her season, running 18:19.6.

In a very powerful display of team depth, the Big Red had the top fifteen finishers and 18 of the top 20, with 16 runners under 19:00 on the Moakley Course.  Rounding out the top 15 were:  sophomore Corey Dowe (8th, 18:22.0), senior Devin McMahon (9th, 18:23.8), junior Bori Tozer (10th, 18:32.2), senior Dale Kinney (11th, 18:37.6), sophomore Dina Iacone (12th, 18:38.7), sophomore Sarah Holl (13th, 18:43.7), junior Sydney Williams (14th, 18:48.0) and freshman Delphi Cleaveland (15th, 18:49.4).

The annual dual meet was contested on a very wet and soggy Course.  Due to irrigation issues that have wreaked havoc with parts of the Gorge all summer, as well as heavy rain this week, the Moakley Course was revised.  As with the meet against Army two years ago, the Gorge was removed and the harriers added an extra "C" loop at the end, producing a virtually identical course as 2011.  After a week of hot, humid and rainy weather, temperatures dropped significantly on Friday with race time conditions in the low 50s with a brisk wind. 

The Big Red have next weekend off and will return to competition at the Boston College Invitational, also titled the "Coast to Coast Battle in Beantown" which will be held at Boston's Franklin Park on Friday afternoon, September 27 and which will feature several nationally competitive teams.  The Cornell women will also send runners to the Roberts Wesleyan Harry Anderson Invitational on Saturday, September 28.