VERMONT INVITE
ST. ALBANS, Vt. – James Cilwik raced to the win to headline Vermont cross country in its season-opening meet on Saturday afternoon at Hard'Ack Recreation Area. Cilwik and the UVM men won the team competition with a score of 27 points. The Vermont women finished second with 50 points.

RELATED LINKS
Results: Women's 5k | Men's 8k
CatamounTV Highlights 
Photos

COACH'S QUOTE
"We had a couple of really inspired team efforts today. One of them ended with a victory and we'll keeping working to get more this year," said head coach Matt Belfield. "Very impressed with how James held on to a blistering early pace to lead us, and a good mix of vets and rookies rallying shortly after him to secure the victory. Clare and Caroline were close to breaking up the Dartmouth sweep, and ran well behind them. It gives us hope for a better team finish come championship season."

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Derby, Vt. native Cilwik won the race with Jameson Sparks finishing as the second Vermont finisher with five points and a time of 26:06.30. Cilwik's win came with a time of 25:38.60 to lead the Catamounts.
• Bennett Harrison-Michaels scored six points for Vermont with a time of 26:24.10 and a sixth-place finish in his first collegiate race. Elliot Hawley (26:34.10) and William Locke (26:37.20) rounded out the scorers for the UVM men in their first collegiate races.
• Clare Kelly led the Vermont women with a time of 18:26.70 that placed her eighth overall. Caroline Deiss (18:28.20) and Sadie Holmes (18:36.00) picked up 10 points and 11 points, respectively, for the Catamounts.
• Lily Porth (18:42.60) and Hope Tyska (18:45.00) rounded out UVM's scorers in the season-opener.

NOTES

• With the win, Vermont Mutual Insurance Group will donate $100 to King Street Center as part of the Cats Win, Community Wins initiative. Since its inauguration in 2017, Vermont Mutual Insurance Group has donated over $80,000 to local non-profits through the Cats Win, Community Wins initiative.  

UP NEXT
The Vermont women return to action on Saturday (Sept.9) for the Maribel Sanchez Souther Invitational at Dartmouth. The meet kicks off at 10:30 a.m. in Hanover, N.H. Both teams will be back in action on Sept. 22 at the Equality Invitational.