Great Lakes Wire

The Northern Michigan University women's cross country team has been projected to finish sixth in the 2025 Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) Preseason Coaches' Poll, according to an announcement by the league. The Wildcats were ranked fourth in last year's preseason poll and ultimately placed seventh at the GLIAC Championships.

Grand Valley State University leads this year's poll and will seek its 25th consecutive conference title. Other teams rounding out the top five include Parkside, Wayne State, Saginaw Valley State, and Michigan Tech. Northern Michigan is listed just ahead of Ferris State, Davenport, Lake Superior State, Purdue Northwest, and Roosevelt.

Senior Madi Szymanski returns as a key member of the Wildcats' roster after missing last season due to injury. In 2023, she finished eighth at the GLIAC Championships and twelfth at regionals with a personal best time of 20:55.83—improving her previous record by nearly 40 seconds—and later represented NMU at the National Championships where she finished 65th out of more than 260 competitors.

Additional returning athletes include seniors Beverly Harper and Sophia Potter; juniors Lamar Gordon, Dani Van Lente, and Emma Sweeney; as well as sophomores Celia Wallace, Lola Korpi, and Brooke Lemos. Five newcomers join this year’s squad with freshmen Ashley Chopnis and Maija Maki-Warne expected to contribute early on.

Head coach Jenny Ryan enters her nineteenth season leading Northern Michigan’s program. She commented on her outlook for the team: "Over the summer, the athletes did a really good job at training…the culture on the team is one of the best its ever been. This could be one of the best teams that I've ever had," said Ryan.

The Wildcats’ season begins September 6 at the Phoenix Open in Green Bay.