ELON, N.C. - The Meredith College Avenging Angels cross country team opened their 2025 season on Friday night at the Elon XC Opener, competing in the 4000m race against a competitive field of regional programs. The meet served as an early test for a young Meredith squad that featured five freshmen making their collegiate debuts.
Junior Delaney Bundy led the Avenging Angels with a strong performance, clocking a 14:52.2 to finish as Meredith's top runner. Senior Carly O'Toole followed with a solid 15:54.3, while the new class of freshmen made their mark right behind.
Kaia Ramsey (16:00.9), Abigail Davis (16:14.4), and Addison Doran (16:23.0) packed tightly together to round out Meredith's scoring five. Freshmen Juana Silva Jimenez (16:43.0) and Madison Moyer (16:49.3) provided depth in their first collegiate outings, while veteran leadership came from senior Laura Brown (17:28.1) and sophomore Ashleigh Modlin (18:30.1).
As a team, Meredith placed 10th overall in the standings, finishing behind meet winner Elon University, but standing out as the top Division III program in the race.
Head Coach Field Miller was encouraged by the team's opener, noting both the veterans' consistency and the promise shown by the large freshman group.
"It was a great way to open our season," Miller said. "Our upperclassmen set the tone, and the freshmen really stepped up while enjoying their first collegiate race. This meet gives us a strong foundation to build on as we move toward conference competition."
The Avenging Angels will return to action on September 5th at the Downback Invitational hosted by Methodist University, as they continue to prepare for the USA South Conference schedule.
