CHARLOTTE, N.C. - On Friday, the No. 2-ranked Milligan University women's cross-country team traveled east to Charlotte, N.C. to compete in the Queen City Invite hosted by Queens University.

It was a great day for the Lady Buffs, as they led all NAIA opposition, including two Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) opponents; and they finished fourth out of twenty teams. Ellen-Mary Kearney posted a 17:16.45 to lead the charge for Milligan, grabbing a seventh-place finish in the process. The top five leading times were all from NCAA Division I opponents.

Karly Wiljhelm got her season off to a strong start, finishing in 31st and crossing the line in 18:20.2. Rounding out the top five runners for the Buffs and finishing in the top 50 were Annabelle Stewart (18:27.2, 36th), Alyssa Bearzi (18:37.9, 41st), and Kaylee Coll (18:39.2, 43rd).

McKenzie Fitzgerald (18:59.5), Patricia Barrera (18:59.8) and Ashlyn Haas (19:09.5) finished close in the final standings at 55th, 56th, and 60th, respectively. Gracie Franklin (19:13.3), Gabriella Hoover (19:24.1), Hope Krell (19:36.8), and Joanna Halterman (19:51.1) were not far behind, as they all finished in the top 100.

Sunny Eorgan started out her career as a Buff clocking in with a final pace of 20:21.9. Cameron Walker finished right behind her with a time of 20:23.4.

The top five Milligan runners finished in a total time of 1:31:21 and an average time of 18:16. Additionally, the top 7 finished with a total time of 2:09:20 with an average of 18:28.

"I felt like this was a strong start for our women," head coach Chris Layne said. "We saw a nice mix of veterans, newcomers and freshmen step up for us today, and the competitiveness of this race is what we need. I continue to be really high on the potential of this squad."

The race was a strong way to kick off the season for the Buffs, as they prepare to attend the Brevard XC Classic on Friday, Sept. 19 in Brevard, N.C.