Jenny Ryan Head Coach | Northern Michigan University Athletics Website
Jenny Ryan Head Coach | Northern Michigan University Athletics Website
The Northern Michigan University women’s cross country team is preparing to compete at the Lucian Rosa Invitational in Wisconsin on Saturday, September 27. The event, hosted by the University of Wisconsin-Parkside, will feature 23 teams in the championship race starting at 10:30 a.m. Eastern Time.
The Wildcats are entering the meet after achieving third place at the Roy Griak Invitational in Minnesota last weekend. This result marked their best finish at that event since 2016. Madi Szymanski led the team with a fifth-place individual finish and was recognized as the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) Athlete of the Week for her performance.
Freshman Ashley Choponis finished eighth, while teammates Lamar Gordon, Emma Sweeney, and Dani Vanlente all placed within the top 25. Beverly Harper and Sophia Porter also secured spots in the top 30.
In recent rankings, Northern Michigan has moved up to sixth place in the Midwest according to USTFCCCA Regional Rankings. The team also received seven votes in the USTFCCCA National Rankings, tying them with Davis and Elkins among teams outside the top 30 nationally.
Reflecting on this weekend’s competition, Head Coach Jenny Ryan stated: "It's going to be almost like a mini national championship with nine ranked teams, and then a lot of other really strong teams. It will be a great chance for our team to see what we are up against. There are also seven teams from our conference that'll race there and other top teams from across the country. You see it as a measuring stick for not only the whole team, but individual runners, too….. We have a chance to beat a few of those teams that are ranked and move up into the national rankings. So, an exciting weekend ahead for sure."
Last season at the Lucian Rosa Invite, Northern Michigan finished fourth out of ten teams with five runners earning top-25 finishes. Dani VanLente led NMU with a ninth-place finish in a career-best time.
Fans can follow updates during Saturday’s race through @NMU_Track_Field and @NMU_Wildcats on X.
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