Off to a strong start, both the men’s and women’s cross country teams competed very well in this season’s opening meet. The annual Harry Lang Invitational was held on Saturday at home against Binghamton, Lemoyne, Saint Rose and Nazareth. The Raider women took first place, while the Colgate men placed second in their respective divisions. “The Harry Lang Invitational was a huge confidence booster for some and a positive reassurance for others,” junior captain Hannah Failing said. “Everyone on the team realized how great they could perform off just one week of fall training and a summer base, and more importantly it made everyone really excited for what is to come.”Five of the top eight finishes in the women’s 6K race were taken by the Raiders. Failing was first to cross the line in the event with a third place finish and a time of 23:46. Following closely behind and taking the next three places (with a mere 18-second interval between them) were sophomores Kathryn Marvel and Elizabeth Kennedy, and junior Meaghan McAnaney. Senior Lia Cross came in next for Colgate with an eighth-place finish.Senior Sarah Hildebrand posted the most impressive Raider finish in the co-ed 4,200m race, in which she came in second place with a time of 17:48.”The women look great after a solid summer of training involving logging a lot of miles,” head coach Laura Nardelli said. “Never have we had as fit or as talented a team.”