Freshman Deirdre Colgan also made a strong showing, finishing 59th with a time of 18:43 in her first championship race at the collegiate level. Sophomore Erin Larkspur (37th, 18:26) and captain Kate Moynihan (63rd, 18:46) also ran well.
Helms' performance was no surprise, as she has shined for Harvard all season long. Despite taking last year off, Helms rejoined the cross-country team in top form. She won the H-Y-P meet last week and is running better than ever.
Considering the fact that Helms was nursing illiotibial band injury on Friday, her 11th place finish was phenomenal. She ran through knee pain that has been recurring through the season and paced the Crimson to an inspiring performance.
With the strong showing in the New England Championships, Harvard seems to be peaking at the right time as its two most important races--Heptagonals on October 29 and the NCAA Regionals on November 13--lie ahead.