The Palo Alto High School girls’ varsity cross-country team finished third out of 16 teams at the Monterey Bay Invitational in Toro Park on Friday.

Susan Heinselman (’11) finished first for Paly with a time of 20:01, and placed ninth overall. Other runners Chika Kasahara (’13), Leigh Dairaghi (’11), Gracie Cain (’11), Lydia Guo (’12) and Shaheen Essabhoy (’13) finished 22nd, 27th, 28th, 37th and 38th overall, respectively.

“I didn’t feel very good, I could have gone a bit faster,” Heinselman said, despite finishing first for Paly.

The three mile course included long flat paths, and short hills in the middle of the course.

“The hills kind of killed me,” Essabhoy added.

Paly’s next race will be at Gunn High School for the City Championships on Tuesday, Oct. 26. The Lady Vikes will return to Toro Park on Saturday, Nov. 13, for the Central Coast Section Championships.