The Saint Mary's cross country team hosted their annual Alumnae 5k on Saturday. For the sixth year in a row, the team hosted its signature alumnae event, which allows current and former Belles to meet and run together.
"It is a really low-key event with a small group of our alums that come back into town," Belles coach Jackie Bauters said.
Unlike a conventional 5-kilometer, this event served as a casual tune-up for Saint Mary's, which is gearing up for its first competitive 5k race, the Knight Invitational, at Calvin College. Last year, current senior Jessica Biek led the way for the Belles, coming in 50th in a field of 313 runners. Accordingly, Bauters said that Saturday's race will be used to prepare for the upcoming competition.
"The team will be using it as a training run and working through it in anticipation of next weekend at Calvin," Bauters said.
Especially important is that the Belles have not run a race since Aug. 31, when the team finished fourth at the Wabash Hokum Karem in Crawfordsville, Ind. With a heavy conference schedule on the horizon, getting race action will help the Belles stay sharp between competitive events.
After this week's 5-kilometer, Saint Mary's will look to stand out in the crowded field at Calvin.
Next Saturday, the Belles will head out to the Gainey Athletic Complex in Grand Rapids, Michigan at 10 a.m. for Calvin College's annual Knight Invitational.
Contact Cole Schietinger at cschieti@nd.edu
