University of Delaware Athletics
University of Delaware
Arturo Barrios Invitational
Gait-Smith Leads as Cross Country Close Out the Regular Season at Arturo Barrios Invitational
10/18/2024 1:54:00 PM | Women's Cross Country
COLLEGE STATION, TEXAS – The University of Delaware cross country team traveled to the Lone Star State on Friday morning to compete in the Arturo Barrios Invitational, hosted by Texas A&M at the Watts Cross Country Course in College Station, Texas. In their final 6K of the regular season, the Blue Hens finished 24th with 645 points, powered by Gabriella Gait-Smith leading the way.
COACH'S QUOTE
"It was exciting to see so many of our pieces come together today, with some of the fastest performances in our school's history," head coach Josh Hayman said. "Running our best towards the end of the year is always the goal. We're hungry for even more as we head into championship season."
HENS HIGHLIGHTS
- Gait-Smith led the way for the Blue Hens, clocking a personal-best time of 20:59.7 to secure a top-100 finish, placing 99th out of 394 runners.
- Close behind, Rachel Starr also set a personal best, finishing 132nd with a time of 21:23.2.
- Marissa Dailey (21:35.5, 149th), Nina Sgambelluri (21:41.7, 163rd), and Ella Peterson (21:47.1, 177th) all recorded personal-best times to complete Delaware's scoring five.
- Erin McGoey also contributed with a personal-best performance, crossing the line in 21:49.0 (178th).
- Additional Blue Hens in action included Danielle Eshelman (season-best 22:07.8, 216th), Kelly Lynch (season-best 22:12.2, 223rd), Tiffany Herrera (22:56.5, 297th), and Stephanie Herrera (23:03.4, 306th).
RACE NOTES
- Six of the 10 Blue Hens set new personal-best times in the 6K.
- Gonzaga took home the team title with 74 points, while Juliet Cherubet of Texas Tech captured the individual crown, finishing in 18:37.0.
- This meet marked Delaware's first-ever cross country competition in Texas.
- The Blue Hens were part of a competitive field featuring 40 teams and 800 runners across both men's and women's races.
UP NEXT
The Blue Hens will shift gears to the postseason as the team will head to Elon, N.C. to compete at the 2024 CAA Cross Country Championships Friday, Nov. 1 from Elon Cross Country Course. Elon will serve as hosts as the Men's 8K race is slated to start at 10 a.m. and the Women's 6K race will follow at 11 a.m.
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Players Mentioned
