FAIRBORN, Ohio - A determined IUPUI women's cross country team earned a fourth-place finish at the 2023 Horizon League Championships at Fairborn Community Park on Saturday (Oct. 28), keyed by all-league performances by Julie Smith and Ellie Cates. Smith placed 12th of 116 runners by covering the 6K course in a time of 21:41.4 while Cates was 14th at 21:46.5. 

IUPUI finished fourth overall with 127 points, edging fifth-place Youngstown State by six points. Oakland collected the team title with 67 points, followed by Purdue Fort Wayne (92) and Milwaukee (116). 

The Jaguars came in with more questions than answers, but put up a solid fight in the fourth-place finish.

Smith responded with an all-league performance, slashing 46 seconds off her prior best record. Cates, who missed IUPUI's final regular season meet, rallied with a similar all-league effort, taking 11 seconds off her personal record. Behind them, senior Madison Fry placed 18th overall at 22:04.3 with a 19-second personal best. Hannah Sale placed 41st at 23:07.0. 

Freshman Grace Bragg was the fourth rookie overall to cross the finish line, placing 44th overall with a new personal record 23:14.0. Kara Krol clocked a time of 23:58.0 and Sophie Reichard finished at 24:06.1. 

Hannah Robbins (24:46.5), Brooke Hansen (25:01.9) and Rebecca Orvis (26:35.4) rounded out the IUPUI entries with the first two clocking new 6K bests.

Purdue Fort Wayne's Madison King took the individual tape in a time of 20:34.9 while YSU's Morgan Cole was second at 20:50.9. 

The Jaguars will compete at the NCAA Great Lakes Regional in Madison, Wisc., on Nov. 10.