WARRENVILLE, Ill. – The Wheaton College women's cross country team made its season debut on Friday evening as host of the annual Gil Dodds Invitational. On the St. James Farm course, the Thunder took sixth place out 19 participating squads in the 6K race.

Friday's meet was originally set to be run on Saturday, but weather concerns led to the schedule change. Wheaton scored 187 points in the final standings, as University of Chicago won the team title with 19 points. Cornell College was runner-up with 99 points.

In a competitive field of 179 runners, Abby Rickard was the first Thunder runner to cross the finish line – the senior claimed 24th place in a time of 23:11.2. Fellow senior Sophia Huber was next in the scoring as she placed 37th in 24:03.3.

Freshman Sophie Kauffman made her collegiate debut with a 58th-place showing in a time of 24:51.1. Freshman Eleanor Wolf posted a 62nd-place finish in 24:54.6, while sophomore Ally Crumley was 66th in 25:05.8.

Freshmen Laynie Ripley (71st, 25:24.5) and Cadie Belasco (74th, 25:32.7) rounded out Wheaton's top seven.

The Thunder continue their fall schedule on Saturday, October 3 at Augustana College's Brissman-Lundeen Invitational.