OLIVET, Mich. - Saint Mary's College Cross Country kicked off the 2026 season at the Comet Open on a boiling hot Tuesday evening in Olivet, Michigan. This was a non-team scoring event.
 
Freshman Adelaide Lulich (Canonsburg, PA) led the way for the Belles as she took home an individual win in her first collegiate event as she led the way with a time of 18:47.2. Lulich becomes just the fifth runner in program history to record an individual win at a race while becoming the first since Jessica Biek in 2013.
 
Saint Mary's also posted six other top 20 finishes as junior Allie Glendening (Berrien Springs, MI) finished in 11th with a time of 19:57.3. Sophomore Mary Caroline George (Louisville, KY), and seniors Jordan Siminski (Crown Point, IN) and Savannah Paulson (Carmel,IN) finished in quick succession of one another in 15th, 16th, and 17th places. George finished with a time of 20:06.2, Siminski with a time of 20:09.7, and Paulson with a time of 20:14.5. Sophomore Jackie Clemente (Richmond, IN) and freshman Stella Behnan (Port Huron, MI) rounded out the top 20 for the Belles with 19th and 20th place finishes respectively. Clemente with a time of 20:26.3 and Behnan with a time of 20:32.3.
 
Senior Cecilia Conrad (Norton Shores, MI) finished just outside the top 20 with a 22nd place finish with a time of 20:52.7. Freshman Elizabeth Salinas (Dearborn, MI) finished inside the top 30 as well with a 29th place finish with a time of 21:32.3.
 
Four more Belles would finish in order in positions 31-34 as freshmen Ella Trenerry (Granger, IN), Elsie Markillie (Richland, MI), Bridget Begley (Palos Heights, IL) and sophomore Sarah Couri (Germantown Hills, IL) finished 17 seconds of each other. Trenerry with a time of 21:44.5, Markillie with a 21:49.3, Begley with a 21:56.2, and Couri with a 22:01.3.
 
Sophomore Megan McClain (Chicago, IL) finished with a time of 22:18.2 while freshman Monica Klockenkemper (Godfrey, IL) finished with a 22:20.8. Senior Josie DeWine (Yellow Springs, OH) finished close behind with a 22:22.2. Sophomore Greta Duke (Shelbyville, IL) and freshman Stella Lipinski (Lansing, MI) rounded out the finishers for the Belles with times of 23:06.3 and 24:53.9 respectively.
 
UP NEXT FOR THE BELLES
Saint Mary's will be back in action on Friday, September 11 as they head back into Michigan to compete in the Spartan Invite, hosted by Michigan State University, in East Lansing, MI.