LEBANON, Pa. - Eastern Women's Cross Country took part in the 2026 LVC Last Chance Run Fast Invitational in its final tune up before next weekend's MAC Championships. The Eagles recorded their third top-five finish of the season, placing third with a team score of 96. Three Eagles also ran career-best races, while two more ran season-best times. 

Heading into the race, Head Coach Samantha David stated that the goal was to run it as a workout, going at tempo for the first two-thirds of the race, before emptying the tank for the final third. She was pleased with the results.

"Going off the line super relaxed allowed both the men and women to have a good reserve to push hard for the last portion of the race," David stated. "We saw excellent times and finishes. We are ready to confidently go into MACs next week after today's performance."

Ashley Bitler led the Eagles once again, finishing in sixth place with a time of 24:18.6. She ran a 6:31.2 pace. Kayleigh Newsome crossed the finish line in 26:39.2, while Ashley Medina finished in 26:53.6, a season-best for the sophomore. 

Wrapping up the results, Talia Fogel finished in 27:01.9, Helena Stoffel crossed the finish line in 27:45.5, and Ava Mello ran a season-best in her second race with a time of 29:39.1. 

The Eagles will be in Owings Mills next weekend for the 2026 MAC Cross Country Championships. The women's race will begin at 11:00 am.