After capturing its first conference championship last fall, Colorado College women's cross country head coach Ted Castaneda was hoping to complement his group of experienced returners with some talented freshmen in 2015.
 
Those freshmen were very impressive Saturday in leading the Tigers to a fourth-place finish at the season-opening 22^nd annual Joe Vigil Invitational in Alamosa, Colo. Two newcomers, including Allysa Warling, who led the team and finished seventh overall, scored for CC, the only Division III team that competed at the primarily Division II meet.
 
"Allysa ran an outstanding race for us today," Castaneda said. "She is so far ahead of what we expected. She ran a very comfortable race."
 
Warling, the only non Adams-State runner in the top eight, finished the 5K course in 18 minutes, 36.23 seconds. Junior Leah Wessler, last year's Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference individual champion, finished 15^th overall with a time of 19:28.86, followed by fellow junior Stefani Messick (30^th / 20:15.78), freshman Leah Veldhuisen (31^st / 20:16.31) and junior Allie Crimmins (34^th / 20:29.45).
 
Another pair of freshmen, Emma Gonzalez and Kate Matlin, finished just outside the scoring in 36^th and 37^th place, respectively.
 
"This is an encouraging start for us," Castaneda said. "We are pretty much right on track. We are not only hoping to defend our conference title, but going for national qualifying and today was a great start."
 
The Tigers host the CC Invitational at North Monument Valley Park on Saturday, Sept. 19 beginning at 9 a.m.
 
 
Team Results
1. Adams State -- 15
2. Colorado Mesa -- 59 
3. Fort Lewis -- 80  
4. Colorado College -- 95 
5. Regis (Colo.) -- 153 
6. Western New Mexico -- 161
 
 
CC Individual Results (5K)
 

No.	Place	Pts.	Name (Yr.)	Time
1.	7	7	Allysa Warling (Fr.)	18:38.23
2.	15	15	Leah Wessler (Jr.)	19:28.86
3.	30	23	Stefani Messick (Jr.)	20:15.78
4.	31	24	Leah Veldhuisen (Fr.)	20:16.31
5.	34	26	Allie Crimmins (Jr.)	20:29.45
6.	35	--	Emma Gonzalez (Fr.)	20:32.12
7.	36	--	Kate Matlin (Fr.)	20:33.68
8.	42	--	Patty Atkinson (So.)	20:52.95
9.	43	--	Katie Sandfort (Jr.)	20:59.06
10.	47	--	Corey Luna (So.)	21:20.53
11.	48	--	Meghan Tanel (Fr.)	21:22.62
12.	50	--	Kelsey Maxwell (So.)	22:19.00