TCNJ junior Katherine Rice from Haddonfield placed 5th in the Highlander Invitational XC Challenge Saturday at Branch Brook Park in Newark.
Rice ran a lifetime-best 18:59.8 over 5,000 meters and finished behind four runners from Army West Point. TCNJ finished 3rd with 117 points, behind Division 1 Army and Division 2 West Chester.
Rice’s previous 5K best on any course was a 20:07.9 at the Herb Lorenz Invitational last month at the Green Lane Fields in Ewing, where she placed 2nd.
Rice won the mile and anchored the winning DMR last winter at the NJAC Championships at Ocean Breeze.
TCNJ is ranked No. 1 in the NCAA Division 3 Metro Region.
Holy Family freshman Maya Harper from Pleasantville placed 24th in 19:59.5, an all-course 5,000 PR.
From the Backstretch by Reuben Frank 