CHICAGO -Junior Rachael Dean (Lindenhurst, Ill./Judson University/Lakes) nabbed a 15^th place finish out of a field of 511 runners to lead the Saint Xavier University women's cross country team across the finish line at the prestigious Sean Earl Lakefront Invitational hosted by Loyola University Saturday at Montrose Harbor in Chicago. Dean finished the 5K (5,000 meters) course with a personal-best time of 18:21 and helped the Cougars secure a 24^th place team finish among the 41 squads competing at the highly competitive event, which included a large number of NCAA Division I schools. Eight of SXU's nine runners competing earned season-best times at Saturday's Invite.

Freshman Jordan Wallace (Frankfort, Ill./Lincoln-Way North) was Saint Xavier's next finisher claiming 91^st place with a time of 19:18, a new personal-best as well. Other top finishers for the Cougars included junior Jackie Ott (Island Lake, Ill./Marian Central Catholic) at No. 224 with a 20:15 clocking, senior Kelly Malone (Oak Lawn, Ill./Mother McAuley) at 20:23 for a 242^nd place finish and senior Jade Braden (Rocky River, Ohio/Rocky River) at No. 252 with a time of 20:29. As a team, SXU finished ahead of Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference (CCAC) rivals University of St. Francis (Ill.) in 26^th place and Calumet College of St. Joseph (Ind.) at 40^th place.

Saint Xavier heads to South Bend, Ind., on Friday, October 8, to take part in the Bethel College Invitational. The women's race is set for a 5 p.m. (central) start at Saint Patrick's Golf Course in South Bend.