Women's Cross Country freshman racing at NCCXC Invite 2025
©Steve Woltmann

Women's Cross Country

Newcomers Represent North Central at NCCXC Invite

Sept. 5, 2025 - Racing a nearly all-freshmen squad in its home opener, the North Central College women's cross country team finished fourth as a team at the NCCXC Invitational while freshman Molly Sheridan posted a top-10 finish at St. James Farm in Warrenville, Ill. Friday evening, Sept. 5.

Wheaton College took home the team win with 33 points with Elmhurst University finishing second with 44 points and University of Wisconsin-Whitewater in third with 55 points. North Central's 96 points was followed by Joliet Junior College's 152 points for fifth-place and Benedictine University's 172 points for sixth.

With just seven runners in the field, the Cardinals separated into pairs early on with Sheridan latching onto Elmhurst and Whitewater's top runners. Through the first loop of the 6-kilometer course, Sheridan sat comfortably in third. 

Wheaton's top group stayed compact throughout the race as four Thunder closed in on Sheridan. A race to the finish line saw Sheridan neck-and-neck with Wheaton's Lily Lebo who finished seventh and Whitewater's Miranda McNally who finished ninth. Sheridan earned an eighth-place finish with a time of 24 minutes, and 4.50 seconds.

Yarecci Salmeron closed out a solid race to finish 16th, ahead of a pair of Warhawks, in 24:53.40. Giselle Alcala kept Salmeron in her sights though, coming across the line in 25:00.90 just four spots behind her teammate as she finished 20th. 

Leah Ortiz ran a 25:24.60 to finish in 27th, while Arielle Manas and Madeline McBeth crossed the finish line in 40th (26:32.70) and 41st (26:36.70), respectively. Evelyn Hernandez rounded out the Cardinal competitors in 69th (32:17.10).

After back-to-back weekends of racing, North Central will take a break from competition before returning to St. James Farm for Wheaton College's Gil Dodds Invitational Saturday, Sept. 20.
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Players Mentioned

Leah Ortiz

Leah Ortiz

Freshman
Evelyn Hernandez

Evelyn Hernandez

Freshman
Molly Sheridan

Molly Sheridan

Freshman
Yarecci Salmeron

Yarecci Salmeron

Freshman
Giselle Alcala

Giselle Alcala

Freshman
Arielle Manas

Arielle Manas

Freshman
Madeline McBeth

Madeline McBeth

Sophomore

Players Mentioned

Leah Ortiz

Leah Ortiz

Freshman
Evelyn Hernandez

Evelyn Hernandez

Freshman
Molly Sheridan

Molly Sheridan

Freshman
Yarecci Salmeron

Yarecci Salmeron

Freshman
Giselle Alcala

Giselle Alcala

Freshman
Arielle Manas

Arielle Manas

Freshman
Madeline McBeth

Madeline McBeth

Sophomore