Bates women’s cross country came up big in its biggest meet of the season so far last Saturday, finishing second out of 39 teams at the Division III Pre-Nationals in Louisville, Ky.

The Bobcats placed five runners within the top 42 of the race to finish just four points behind winner Hope College of Holland, Michigan, which is ranked 14th in the country.

“We executed really well,” Bates head coach Jay Hartshorn said. “Everyone just found where they should be in the race early on and then really moved up. We were in control the whole time.”

In all, 332 individuals competed in the meet’s Women’s Silver Race at E.P. “Tom” Sawyer State Park, which is the site of next month’s NCAA Championships.

Senior Jessica Wilson of Cumberland led the Bobcats with a time of 21:55.76 on the 6-kilometer course, good for ninth overall. Junior Katherine Cook (12th), sophomore Katie Barker (19th), senior Molly Chisholm (31st) and freshman Olivia LaMarche (42nd) rounded out the scoring for Bates.

Thanks to the strong showing, Bates made its debut in the USTFCCA national rankings Wednesday at No. 25.

In the Men’s Silver Race, Bates finished seventh among 43 teams. Freshman James Jones was the top Bobcats runner, placing 12th out of 388 runners by finishing the 8-kilometer course in 25:29.66. Senior Joe Doyle crossed the line next for Bates to finish 52nd overall. North Central (Illinois) won the meet.

Ranked No. 24 in the nation last week, Bates dropped out of the USTFCCA poll on Wednesday after receiving one vote.

The men and women host their next meet, the Maine State Championship, on Oct. 15 at Pineland Farms in New Gloucester.

Back to Bates games schedule

Bates has a lot going on for alumni at Back to Bates weekend, starting Friday night with women’s volleyball and rugby matches scheduled at 7 and 7:30 p.m., respectively.

Saturday’s action starts with men’s tennis hosting the Wallach Invitational at 9 a.m. Women’s soccer, field hockey and men’s soccer host Connecticut College at 11 a.m., noon and 2 p.m., respectively. Women’s volleyball takes on Trinity at 1 p.m.

Several teams will also be holding gatherings for alumni athletes, including a continental breakfast at 9 a.m. Saturday to meet new baseball head coach Jon Martin.

Tennis doubles reach ITA regional quarterfinals

The doubles team of Josh Quijano and Nick Glover reached the quarterfinals of the Intercollegiate Tennis Association Northeast Regional Championships in Williamstown, Massachusetts, last Saturday.

Quijano, a sophomore, and Glover, a freshman, were seeded sixth in the doubles tournament and defeated MIT’s Sean Ko and Victor Cheng, 8-3, in the Round of 16 before falling to Middlebury’s Hamid Derbani and Kyle Shlanger, the fourth-seeded team, 8-1 in the quarterfinals.

Senior Chris Ellis lost to Bowdoin’s Grant Urken, 6-1, 6-2, in the Round of 16 of the singles tournament.

Golf finishes eighth at qualifier

Bates men’s golf team finished eighth out of 10 teams at last weekend’s NESCAC Men’s Golf Championship Fall Qualifier at Ralph Myrhe Golf Club in Middlebury, Vermont.

Sophomore Liam McLoughlin shot 3-over-par 74 to lead the Bobcats and finish 26th out of 50 competitors overall.

Winner Williams, Trinity, Amherst and Middlebury qualified for the spring championship.

The Bobcats will tee off again Thursday at the Mariner Invitational at Augusta Country Club in Manchester.

The women’s qualifier starts Saturday in Middlebury. Junior Kelly Wasserman has been the Bobcats’ top golfer this season.