The women's cross-country team opened its 2026 campaign Friday at the Lewis Early Bird Invitational in Romeoville, Illinois. The Lions turned in a strong performance against a competitive field, earning a third-place team finish behind a pair of top-25 individual performances.

The Basics:

• Season opener
• Held in Romeoville, Illinois
• Finished third as a team

The Breakdown:

• Freshman Melinda Torres () led the Lions with a 10th-place finish, crossing the finish line in 16:28.8.
• Freshman Caylin Vanshyock (Laporte, Ind./Laporte) followed with a 16th-place finish in 16:54.5.
• Freshman Alex Sinclair placed 21st with a time of 17:14.9.
• Senior Sara McGraw (Indianapolis, Ind./Roncalli) finished 22nd in 17:17.0.
• Senior Kayla Garza (Dyer, Ind./Lake Central) rounded out the Lions' top five, placing 23rd in 17:24.5.
• Junior Sonya Wagner (Greenville, Tenn./North Greene) finished 49th with a time of 20:01.0.
• Junior Johanna Compton (Lafayette, Ind./William Henry Harrison) rounded out the Lions' runners, placing 51st in 20:21.3.

Up Next:
The Lions will return to action on Friday, September 18, traveling to Bourbonnais, Illinois, for the Olivet Nazarene Midwest Classic, hosted by Olivet Nazarene.