HONOLULU - By wide margins, the University of Hawai'i cross country team dashed into first place at the Chaminade Invitational, Saturday, Oct. 9 at Kapi'olani Park.

Seven Rainbow Wahine competed in the 5k race, all placing within the top ten of the participant pool. For the first time in her collegiate career, freshman Sam North took first place in a meet. 

"The ladies executed their race plan perfectly today." said UH head coach Tim Boyce. "We rested a few, but everyone who ran stepped up with a great effort to make it a positive morning for the 'Bows."

Wearing number 185, North finished the race as UH's top finisher, striding across the finish line with a time of 19 minutes and 47.1 seconds, placing first. 

Fellow Rainbow Wahine soon followed - 16.5 seconds after North, senior Olivia Hill completed the race with a mark of 20:03.6 to finish runner-up. Sophomores Ellis Collins and Sophia Lodigiani finished at 20:13.4 seconds and 20:28.5, placing third and fourth, respectively. Freshman Becca Bodine completed UH's consecutive finishes after coming into fifth place with a time of 20:39.5.

Hawai'i-Hilo placed second in the meet with a team score of 61 points while Hawai'i Pacific took third with a team score of 64 points. Overall, UH placed first after accumulating 15 points with a total time of 1:41:13 and an average of 20 minutes and 15 seconds.

The Rainbow Wahine will now look towards competing in the Bronco Invitational next Saturday, Oct. 16 in Sunnyvale, Calif. The Bronco Invite will be the 'Bows last regular season meet before competing in the Big West Championships on Oct. 29.