WENHAM, Mass. -- Sophomore Alice Najimy (Pittsfield, Mass.) posted a time of 24:45 to lead the Simmons University women's cross country team to a fifth-place team finish this morning at the six kilometer Annual Pop Crowell Invitational in Wenham, Mass. hosted by Gordon College.

The Sharks finished with 105 points as a team,while University of New England boasted four of the top five finishers in the race to propel it to the team title with 22 points. Rivier University's Samantha Molinari won the race with a mark of 24:27 to capture the individual crown.

Najimy turned in a 4:08 kilometer pace for Simmons. Senior Gabby Freeman (Newnan, Ga.) registered a personal-record time for the second straight week for the Sharks, shaving 55 seconds off her best 6K time with a mark of 27:15 to finish 21st overall. First year Julia DiGiacomo (Franklin, Mass.) placed 28th with a time of 28:25, while juniors Chloe O'Hara (Westminster, Mass.) and Elena Dickey (North Andover, Mass.) were within nine seconds of her with O'Hara placing 31st with a time of 28:30 and Dickey finishing 34th at 28:34. 

First year Clare Thompson (Marshfield, Mass.) clocked in at 29:11 to place 42nd and classmate Kaitlyn Kessel (Lincolnville, Maine) turned in a time of 29:40 to finish 46th. First year Hannah Kearney (Abington, Mass.) crossed the finish at 30:31 to place 51st and senior Amelia Franklin (Bath, Maine) finished 70th with a time of 34:37.

Simmons returns to compete on Saturday, October 12 when it heads to Standish, Maine to run in the Running Monks Invitational.