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UW-La Crosse secures fourth straight Women’s Cross Country Championship
WIAC Cross Country

STEVENS POINT —University of Wisconsin-La Crosse won the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) Women’s Cross Country Championship (presented by Culver’s) at Wisconsin River Golf Club on Nov. 2.

It is the fourth straight title for the Eagles and 13th in program archives. UW-La Crosse totaled 37 points to surpass UW-Stout’s second-place total of 68 points. UW-Eau Claire third with 79 points, UW-Whitewater fourth with 94, UW-Oshkosh fifth with 94, UW-Platteville sixth with 179, UW-River Falls seventh with 189 and UW-Stevens Point eighth with 214. UW-Stout’s finish is the highest in program history.

UW-Oshkosh’s Amelia Lehman secured the individual title after posting a time of 21:18.2 on the 6,000-meter course. A total of 89 runners completed the race. The Titans have had a runner win the individual crown 20 times.

UW-Stout’s Brekkyn Lammert finished second in 21:24.1, UW-Stout’s Arely Jaime Luevano third in 21:26.7, UW-La Crosse’s Gwen Hinz fourth in 21:31.1, UW-La Crosse’s Katelyn Chadwick fifth in 21:38.6, UW-Eau Claire’s Keeley Behr sixth in 21:41.3 and UW-Stout’s Mckayla Felton seventh in 21:41.5.

UW-La Crosse’s Madelynn McIntyre, a Brodhead graduate, placed eighth in 21:41.7, UW-La Crosse’s Sierra Rabe ninth in 21:52.3, UW-Whitewater’s Ari De La Cerda 10th in 21:53.5, UW-La Crosse’s Mallory Reiser 11th in 21:59.0, UW-La Crosse’s Brooklyn Luebke 12th in 22:01.0, UW-Eau Claire’s Molly Heidorn 13th in 22:02.3, and UW-Eau Claire’s Bella Hooker 14th in 22:06.3. 

Hooker claimed the Kwik Trip Newcomer of the Year award for being the highest finishing newcomer at the championship. A newcomer is defined as a student-athlete who used her first season of participation in women’s cross country this season. Transfers are not eligible unless they didn’t participate in women’s cross country at their previous institution.

UW-La Crosse’s Lucy Duchac finished 15th in 22:06.5, UW-Whitewater’s Payton Scoggin 16th in 22:10.8, UW-Platteville’s Hannah Fliss 17th in 22:17.7, UW-Whitewater’s Renee Forystek 18th in 22:18.2, UW-Oshkosh’s Cyna Madigan 19th in 22:18.9, and UW-Whitewater’s Ella Hansen 20th in 22:19.0.

The top seven runners received All-WIAC first team recognition, while runners placing eighth through 14th earned All-WIAC second team accolades. Individuals finishing 15th through 20th claimed All-WIAC honorable mention laurels.

UW-La Crosse’s Katelyn Chadwick and UW-Stevens Point’s Rachel Krouse were named co-recipients of the Judy Kruckman Scholar-Athlete Award.

An All-Sportsmanship Team was chosen for individuals that displayed exemplary sportsmanship throughout the season. It included one member from each school. Named to the squad were: UW-Eau Claire’s Marika Kisgen; UW-La Crosse’s Sierra Rabe; UW-Oshkosh’s Julia Strasser; UW-Platteville’s Leah Digmann; UW-River Falls’ Laina Viere; UW-Stevens Point’s Olivia Franklin; UW-Stout’s Olivia Donohue; and UW-Whitewater’s Jocelyn Ramirez.