Great Lakes Wire

The Northern Michigan University (NMU) women's cross country team has been ranked fifth in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) Preseason Poll. The poll, which is determined by coaches' votes, was released on Tuesday.

The 2023 GLIAC Women's Cross Country Preseason Poll ranks Grand Valley State first with 81 points and nine first-place votes. Wayne State follows with 71 points and one first-place vote, while Saginaw Valley State takes third place with 67 points. Michigan Tech is fourth with 51 points, just ahead of Northern Michigan's 46 points.

NMU's cross country team will feature a largely new lineup this season, with only two runners having multiple seasons of experience: Skylar Grubb and Talon Prusi. Head Coach Jenny Ryan enters her 17th season at the helm and has consistently led the Wildcats to top-15 finishes at the Midwest Regionals for the past 13 years. This year’s squad is notably young, consisting of ten freshmen and eight sophomores out of a total roster of twenty-two athletes.

Sophomore Madi Szymanski stands out among returning athletes after finishing in 24th place at last year's GLIAC Championships with a personal-best time of 22:42.1, earning All-GLIAC Second Team honors. Last year, NMU finished sixth in the GLIAC Championships.

In preparation for the upcoming season, NMU recently held an intrasquad 5K event where Szymanski finished first followed closely by freshman Ava Maginity. Maginity brings notable achievements from Boyne City High School where she earned All-State, All-Conference, and All-Region honors each season from 2019 to 2023.

Other key contributors expected to impact this season include Gianna Hoving, Talon Prusi, and Skylar Grubb. At last year's GLIAC Championships, Hoving placed 35th with a time of 23:12.69; Prusi took the 53rd spot clocking in at 23:46.08; and Grubb finished right behind at 54th place with a time of 23:46.17.

The Wildcats are set to start their competitive season on September 9th at the Northwood Invite.