On the women’s side, Harvard relied on youth. Two out of five scoring Crimson runners were freshmen, and freshman Laura Maludzinski stepped it up to deliver the Crimson’s top finish.

“This was my first big college race, and I was more mentally into it than past races,” Maludzinski said. “I got pushed back at the start, but I think it helped me to have to work my way up to the front. Sometimes it’s nicer to pass people than be passed.”

The Crimson’s next four runners finished within 50 seconds of each other. Senior Melissa Tanner clocked a time of 22:11. She was followed by junior Beverly Whelen (22:17), freshman Lindsay Crouse (22:59) and captain Claire Nicholas (23:01).

“In big races, you always want to know where your teammates are,” Whelan said. “That’s why we practice in a pack.”

By running as a team, the Crimson was able to navigate the course and weather the competition, which Whelan described as “better than we’re used to.”

Shalane Flanagan of North Carolina won the race with a time of 19:56.5.

Both the men’s and women’s teams look forward to more stiff competition as they prepare for the Ivy League’s only Heptagonal meet at Van Cortland Park on Nov. 1.