The University of Toronto Varsity Blues cross country teams closed out their invitational schedule at Christie Lake Conservation Area in Dundas, Ont., on Friday (Oct. 16) running in the Marauder Lakefront Invitational.

With 14 women's teams competing, the U of T women finished in seventh place overall, while the Varsity Blues men placed sixth among 13 participating institutions.

Producing the Blues top result was first-year standout Bianca Grossi. Running with the front pack throughout, Grossi finished in fourth posting a time of 27.59.7. Adding two more Top 50 finishers from the field of 133 runners, Shelby Spencer placed 29^th (29:39.3) and Kaitlyn Koyanagi was 41^st (30:06.0).

Delivering the top result for the men was veteran Nima Ashtari who placed 32^nd overall with a time of 25:02.2. The pair of Oliver Tagalog and Jabez Siu also earned Top 50 finishes in the 162-person field, placing 48^th (25.21.7) and 49^th (25.22.1), respectively.

With the conclusion of the invitational schedule, the Varsity Blues will now set their sights on the 2026 OUA Championships. The provincial showcase is set to be hosted by the University of Windsor on Saturday, Oct. 31.