FREDONIA, NY - Led by Ellie Ponko's 10th-place performance with a time of 22:42.2, Rochester women's cross country put together a third-place finish at the 2024 NCAA Niagara Region Championships.
 
The Yellowjackets came into the meet with a fifth-place ranking according to the USTFCCA Regional Rankings but were able to outrun two above them in the rankings, Hamilton and Ithaca, to complete a third-place team finish in the regional competition.
 
SUNY Genseo finished second in the team standings, with NYU taking home the team title.
 
Rochester left the championship with six All-Region finishers, led by Ponko, followed by Sab Lin, Riley Joseph, Alicia Lawson, Kat Benninger and Maria Khalifeh.
 
Behind Ponko's 10th-place finish, senior Sab Lin crossed the line with a 19th-place finish and a time of 23:03.2.
 
Finishing back-to-back in 24th and 25th were junior Riley Joseph with a time of 23:20.3 and senior Alicia Lawson with a time of 23:20.7.
 
Finishing in 29th was senior Kat Benninger with a time of 23:23.3, followed closely behind by first-year Maria Khalifeh with a time of 23:28.2.
 
Rounding out the race for Rochester was senior Andie Burton, who crossed the finish line with a time of 24:25.6 (66th).
 
The Yellowjackets will now await potential bids to the NCAA Division III Championships on November 23 at 11:00 a.m. taking place in Terre Haute, IN.