Sydney Watts picked up right where she left off at the end of the 2023 season, opening the Chestnut Hill College women's cross country team's 2024 campaign with a third place finish and a personal-best time at the 44th Annual Philadelphia Cross Classic at Belmont Plateau Saturday morning.
Watts completed the 5,000-meter course on 20:43.8, to place third overall, just 0.6 seconds behind second place Ana Eshraghi of Jefferson. Her time bettered her previous best 5K time by 16 seconds, a 20:56.3 performance at last year's CACC Championship on the same Belmont Plateau course.
Gabby Hassler finished with a time of 23:13.4 to place 19th overall. Deanna Otero rounded out the Griffins' competitors with a time of 30:56.8.
The women's cross country team returns to action on September 20, 2024, when they compete at the University of Delaware Invitational at White Clay Creek State Park in Wilmington, Delaware.
