Freshman Maggie Smith recorded a fourth-place finish at the Paul Short Run on Saturday morning with a time of 19:47.4. She led a group of three other Wildcat runners who finished within the top 175 in a race of 295 contenders.

The 6k Women’s Gold Race at Lehigh University featured schools from across the country. It will also be the location for the NCAA Mid-Atlantic Regional later this season.

With her 19:47.4 finish, Smith recorded the fifth fastest time in school history in the 6k, and logged her own personal best.

“That was a huge personal best time by over a minute, so she really stepped up,” head coach Gina Procaccio said.

Senior Ann Campbell, who finished in 22^nd place, also had a personal best time by 30 seconds.

Freshmen Nikki Merrill and Bryne Sumner were the other two runners for Villanova, finishing in 77^th and 172^nd place, respectively.

More often than not during the beginning of the season, Procaccio did not run her whole team. Even without the full roster running, this weekend was a great way for the team to prepare for later in the season.

“It’s all coming together nicely,” Procaccio said. “We’re looking to put more people back in the lineup in two weeks, and we’re really excited to see where the season ends.”

Next up, the Wildcats travel to the Nuttycombe Invitational in Wisconsin on Oct. 18 for their last race of the regular season.