BRUNSWICK, Maine—First-year Alexandra Kirkpatrick (Middleborough, Mass.) was just two seconds off her top time of the year as the Babson College women's cross country team finished a program-best 16th at the NCAA East Region Championship at the Pickard Field Course on the campus of Bowdoin College.

The Beavers' 490 points are a new program low and the team finish is three spots better than the previous school record of 19th place back in 2010. No. 7 MIT cruised to a 28-point win over Bates to secure an automatic bid to next Saturday's Division III Championship meet.

Kirkpatrick finished the 6k course with a time of 24:40 to finish in 70th position. First-year Chloe Clifford (Marshfield, Mass.) came in 80th in a time of 24:54, while sophomore Angela Hagstrom (Portsmouth, N.H.) recorded her top time of the year, crossing the finish line 25:43.

Senior Nicole Johns (Peabody, Mass.) ran 25:45 and sophomore Ali Thomas (Vero Beach, Fla.) rounded out the squad with a time of 26:12.