CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – Senior team captain Emily Boutin posted a 17th-place finish in the women's collegiate 5K on a rainy Saturday morning at the 2023 Virginia College & Open Invitational at Panorama Farms in Charlottesville, Va. Boutin clocked a 16:43.4 to lead all Midshipmen on the day.
 
Navy finished 20th among the 23 teams that competed, which included nearly a dozen Power 5 schools. Northern Arizona earned first-place distinction, tallying a team-low 48 points, while Stanford followed with 104 points for second. Meet-host Virginia posted 123 points for third place, while Washington (131) and Georgetown (204) rounded out the top five.
 
"Today was a learning experience among some of the top teams in the country," head coach Kim Lewnes said. "Boots [Emily Boutin] ran another patient race. She moved up very well throughout and still had more in the tank. I love watching her push her limits and I'm confident her teammates will follow her lead in competition later this season."
 
Boutin finished the day with a team-best time of 16:43.4. The senior was three seconds back of entering the top 15. She was in 85th through the first check point, but moved up 43 spots into 42nd-place through 2,000m. At 3K into the race, Boutin was at 10:37.2 and moved up another nine spots into 33rd. At the final check point, the Chicopee, Mass. native moved herself into the top 20 at 18th with 1,000m remaining. In the final push, Boutin was able to maneuver her way into a 17th-place finish.
 
Caroline Harding (18:05.7) was second among Navy runners, while McKenna Brophy (18:09.1) was third among the Midshipmen. Sophomores Mia-Claire Kezal (18:20.2) and Sophie Compton (18:20.6) finished back-to-back with four hundredths of a second separating the duo. Freshman Sarah Colebrooke (18:38.1) and junior Olivia Lutkevich (19:02.8) rounded out Navy's top seven runners.
 
Brianna Newell (19:04.8) and Kate Leddy (19:19.1) also took part in the women's collegiate 5K.
 
In the Open 5K, Alex Wercinski was the Mids' top finisher with a time of 18:22.3 to finish third among women's competitors. Samantha Woodworth (18:59.1), Lillee Tang (19:05.5), Natalie Jack (19:36.8), Shannon Clancy (19:52.7), and Milana Breuninger (20:02.0) finished in order in the Open 5k.
 
The Midshipmen will travel to Bethlehem, Pa. for the Paul Short Invitational on Saturday, Sept. 30. The site of the meet, which is hosted by Lehigh, will be the same course as the 2023 NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regional on Friday, Nov. 10.