Great Lakes Wire

The Northern Michigan cross country team achieved a significant milestone at the Midwest Regional Championships held in Evansville, Indiana. The team finished ninth out of 32 teams, marking their first top-10 regional finish since 2017.

Madi Szymanski led the team with a 12th place finish, setting a new personal record of 20:55.83. This performance was over 40 seconds faster than her previous best time set earlier this season at the Lewis Crossover. Szymanski's strong start had her in sixth place after one mile and eighth at the halfway point. Her efforts earned her an All-Region title, and she now awaits the NCAA Championships announcement to see if she will compete further.

Gianna Hoving followed as the next Wildcat finisher, securing 45th place with a personal best time of 21:41.85. Hoving showed remarkable progress throughout the race, advancing from outside the top 100 at the one-mile mark to near 60th by the three-kilometer point before finishing strong.

Skylar Grubb also improved during the race, ending in 58th place with a time of 21:53.03—over a minute faster than her previous best in the six-kilometer distance. Ava Maginity was next for Northern Michigan, finishing in 90th place with a time of 22:31.87.

Emma Moore completed her run in 102nd place with a time of 22:45.79, while Lamar Gordon and Dani VanLente finished closely together in 106th and 107th places respectively, both achieving personal records.

Liz Wamsley from Hillsdale claimed victory in the race with a time of 20:04.50, followed by a Cedarville runner in second and three runners from Grand Valley State completing the top five positions. Grand Valley State also secured the team win.

Szymanski will be eagerly waiting for Monday's Selection Show announcement to learn if she qualifies for participation in the NCAA Championships scheduled for November 6 at 5 p.m.