A student conducts a laboratory investigation to separate a \(50.0 \text{ mL}\) equimolar mixture of ethanol (\(\text{CH}_3\text{CH}_2\text{OH}\), normal boiling point \(78^\circ\text{C}\)) and 1-propanol (\(\text{CH}_3\text{CH}_2\text{CH}_2\text{OH}\), normal boiling point \(97^\circ\text{C}\)) using fractional distillation. In Trial 1, the vertical fractionating column is packed with inert glass beads. In Trial 2, the student inadvertently omits the glass beads, leaving the vertical column empty, while keeping all other apparatus components and heating parameters identical. The student collects the initial \(5.0 \text{ mL}\) of distillate for both trials and records the data shown in the table below.

Trial	Fractionating column packing	Distillation head temperature (\(^\circ\text{C}\))	Mole fraction of \(\text{CH}_3\text{CH}_2\text{OH}\) in initial \(5.0 \text{ mL}\) distillate
1	Packed with glass beads	\(78\)	\(0.96\)
2	Empty (no packing)	\(85\)	\(0.68\)

Which of the following best explains why the initial distillate collected in Trial 2 has a substantially lower mole fraction of \(\text{CH}_3\text{CH}_2\text{OH}\) than that collected in Trial 1?