GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. - In one of the premier NAIA meets of the regular season, the NAIA Great Lakes Challenge, the Goshen College women's cross country team placed 22nd of 38 teams on Saturday.

Seven teams ranked in the NAIA top 25 and a total of 12 teams who appeared in the latest poll were on hand for the 5k at Riverside Park in Grand Rapids.  A total of 355 runners completed the field with Goshen tallying 611 points as a team.

"Our women's team again had a great pack and when you look how close our two through seven runners were, it is very encouraging," head coach Doug Yoder explained.  "The course ran a bit slower today, but times were still respectable."

A good preview for the league championship meet, all 10 Crossroads League programs were on hand with the Leafs finishing eighth among them.  Sophomore Ali Hochstetler was the top finisher for Goshen, running to a 66th-place finish of 19:37.46.  

"Ali Hochstetler ran another great race and a great time, continuing to improve," Yoder added.  "Irene Schmid, out No. 3 runner did not run due to an ankle injury today."

After Hochstetler, the Maple Leaf pack took over.  Goshen's two through seven finished within 1:19 of each other, including the three through six runners clocking in times just nine seconds apart.  

Next up for the Maple Leafs is the Crossroads League Championships, hosted by Indiana Wesleyan University, on Saturday, November 3.

22. Goshen College - 611 pts.

66. Ali Hochstetler - 19:37.46
121. Cynthia Medina - 20:28.82
140. Alli Beitler - 21:07.72
141. Audrey Thill - 21:08.23
143. Karla Folker - 21:12.26
146. Erin Helmuth - 21:16.62
161. Alita Yoder - 21:47.49
Hannah Barg - 21:53.05
Lydia Alderfer - 22:04.58
Indy Miller - 22:34.85
Lauren Weaver - 22:46.07
Sara LaLone - 24:26.52
Grace Boehm - 26:12.42
Natalie Graber - 27:27.64