Contact: Jack Lindsay, Athletics Communications Graduate Assistant, jlindsay@noctrl.edu

Aurora, Ill. (Sept. 12, 2026) – The North Central College women's cross country team dominated their second race of the season at the Spartan Invitational on Saturday. The Cardinals came away with a first place finish with six members of the team finishing in the top 10 and also holding two of the top three spots in the six-kilometer race.

North Central scored 27 points in a field of seven for the victory with Aurora University finishing in second with 57 points. The top five was rounded out by Lake Forest College in third (65), Rockford University in fourth (107), and College of DuPage in fifth (127).

Senior Lily Anderson finished first overall in the Spartan Invitational. Anderson finished with a time of 24:34.40 which was exactly 12 seconds in front of the runner-up on Aurora.

Freshman Mariangela Popoca was the third place finisher in Saturday's race and clocked in a time of 24 minutes and 55.0 seconds. Molly Sheridan (6^th, 25:40.00), Yarecci Salmeron (8^th, 25:56.60), Marissa Magana (9^th, 26:08.30), and Arielle Manas (10^th, 26:10.40) rounded out the top 10 for the Cardinals in a strong showing.
Giselle Alcala (26:15.10), Segiloa Smith-Pariola (26:24.6), and Tessa Hatt (26:35.3) finished 12^th, 14^th, and 15^th respectively.

The Cardinals now look to keep the momentum of today's victory at the Midwest Classic, hosted by Olivet Nazarene University at Aspen Ridge Golf Course in Bourbonnais, Ill.