NEW BRITAIN, Conn. – The UMass Lowell women's cross country team made a brief trip to Connecticut for the CCSU Mini Meet on Friday evening.

"Today was a good finish for the members not racing conference," said Head Coach Gary Gardner.

The River Hawks began the afternoon competing in the varsity 3k race, with junior Emily Burdick (Billerica, Mass.) leading the group of UMass Lowell runners, crossing the line in 19th place with a time of 10:37.77, while freshman Brooke Nedeau finished close behind, claiming 22nd place with a 10:40.53 mark. 

"Emily's fall prep looks like it's gone well, and I'm looking forward to the indoor season," said Gardner.

Staying attached, junior Katharine Cottone (Little Falls, N.J.) (27th, 10:47.63), junior Lena Takahasi (Holden, Mass.) (28th, 10:48.07), and freshman Addyson Hunt (Wilmington, Mass.) (30th, 10:51.14) were the next to finish for UMass Lowell, while sophomore Brenna Corcoran (Haverhill, Mass.) (37th, 11:19.88) rounded out the River Hawk runners in the varsity 3k race, respectively. 

"Brooke and Lena have had back-to-back good races," said Gardner.

The sub-varsity 3k event was next, with UMass Lowell running hard, as freshman Sabrina Vitale (Dracut, Mass.) ran to a 10th-place finish with a time of 11:10.5, followed closely by freshman Grace Brackett (Wakefield, Mass.), who earned 11th place after crossing at an 11:11.20 mark.

Graduate student Kaitlyn Stevens (Oxford, Mass.) and sophomore Isabel McIntyre (Dover, N.H.)  finished back-to-back, with Stevens taking 15th at 11:33.22 and McIntyre in 16th at a 11:44.26 mark, with sophomore Alyssa Fiorino (Billerica, Mass.) a few spots behind in 19th with a time of 12:17.84. Rounding out the River Hawks, senior Dantia Braccio (Nashua, N.H.) (29th, 13:58.32) also competed in the 3k race. 

The team prepares for the America East Cross Country Championships, taking place next Friday, October 31, at the Hopkinton State Fairgrounds in Hopkinton, N.H.