ROCKFORD, Ill. – The Alverno College cross country team kicked off its 2025 season at the Rock River Invitational hosted by Rockford University in Rockford, Illinois. The team placed in fourth place in the five-kilometer race.

Sophomore Bailey Gardner (Winnipeg, Manitoba/University of Winnipeg Collegiate) paced the Inferno on Friday evening, leading all Alverno runners with her 25th-place finish and her time of 31:52.9 in her first collegiate race. Close behind was senior Morgan Whitten (Columbus, Miss./Columbus Christian), who was 26^th with a mark of 32:01.8, with graduate student Rosie Robles (Milwaukee, Wis./Carmen Southeast) close behind as well, finishing in 27^th with a time of 32:17.3.

Rounding out the quintet of Inferno on Friday were seniors Lylah Wise (Kingman, Ariz./ASU Digital Prep) and Katherine Peabody (Sycamore, Ill./Sycamore), who finished 29^th and 30^th, respectively. Wise finished with a mark of 35:34.9 in her first collegiate race, and Peabody posted a new personal best in a five-kilometer race at 38:15.1.

North Central (Ill.) took the team win in the women's race, as their freshman Molly Sheridan took home the win with a time of 20:31.5.

The Alverno Inferno are back in action next weekend at UW-Parkside as they head to the Vic Goffrey Open, set for Friday, Sept. 5 at 5 p.m.