The Sweet Briar Cross Country Club traveled to New Market, Va., Saturday, Sept. 13 for the James Madison University Open Cross Country Invitational. The 5,240-meter (3.25-mile) race was held at New Market Battlefield.

Laura McKenna (left) looks strong at the one-mile mark.In addition to Division I teams from James Madison University and George Mason University, other schools competing included Randolph College, Eastern Mennonite University, George Mason University, Mary Washington University, Virginia Southern University, Lynchburg College and Bridgewater College.

Laura McKenna ’10 led Sweet Briar, placing 36th among the Division III competitors with a time of 28:51. First-year Stephanie Kepner passed teammates Petra Dacheva ’09 and Britt Schneider ’10 in the last mile of the race, placing 43rd overall with a time of 33:16. Schneider and Dacheva followed in 45th and 46th places with times of 33:46 and 35:24, respectively. Michelle Anderson ’11 finished in 47th place with a time of 41:19.

On Saturday, Sept. 20, the club will travel to Salem, Va., for Roanoke College’s Maroon Invitational. The race will be held at Mowles Spring Park and starts at 10:30 a.m.

– By Suzanne Ramsey, SBC staff writer