Sophomore Jessica Richardson (Columbus, Ind./North) put a top-ten overall finish in the books Friday, running in the first meet of the season for the Valparaiso women’s cross country team at the Crusader Open.

The Crusader women totaled only 107 points on the meet, placing them fourth out of five competing teams.  Purdue captured the team title with 27 points, with Boilermaker Smantha Walkow crossing the finish line first. 

Richardson covered the 5K course on Friday in a time of 18:21.4 for her seventh-place showing, narrowly missing a sixth-place finish.  Junior Grace Shemwell (Clinton, Iowa/Clinton) was the second Valpo runner to cross the line in 35^th overall, completing the race in 20:27.5.  Closely trailing Shemwell, freshman Dezzarae Arce (Orland Park, Ill./Victor J. Andrew) crossed the finish line in 20:27.8 for the 36^th place finish.

Senior Haley Kerlin (Rensselaer, Ind./Rensselaer) crossed the line in 41st place with a time of 20:47.5, while Freshman Sophia Robinson (Downers Grove, Ill./South) debuted with a time of 22:26.6 to finish in 51st place.  Sophomore Anna Kinzie (Wyoming, Mich./Calvin Christian) and junior Grace Watkins (Hanover Park, Ill./Hoffman Estates) rounded out Valpo’s contingent of runners placing 53^rd and 54^th, crossing the line with times of 23:16.4 and 23:48.3, respectively.

Valparaiso returns to action in two weeks as the Crusaders travel to Terre Haute, Ind. to take part of the Indiana Intercollegiates meet.  The first race is slated to start at 2:30 p.m. CDT.