La Crosse, Wis. - University of Wisconsin-La Crosse freshman Aidan Matthai of Wauwatosa (East) has earned the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) Kwik Trip Men's Cross Country Newcomer of the Year. Hill placed eighth at the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) Championships (presented by Culver's) on October 29 at Maple Grove Venues, LLC in West Salem, Wisconsin. He earned All-WIAC Second Team accolades with his eighth-place finish, completing the 8,000-meter course in 25:09.5. 

The Kwik Trip Newcomer of the Year award is presented to the highest finishing newcomer at the league championships. A Newcomer of the Year is defined as a student-athlete who used his first season of participation in men's cross country this season. Transfers are not eligible unless they didn't participate in men's cross country at their previous institution.  

UWL won its fifth straight WIAC Championship and 37th in school history with 27 team points. The Eagles had five runners place in the top-10 on Saturday. Ethan Gregg won the individual title (23:38.5) with Isaac Wegner third (24:30.1), Corey Fairchild fifth (24:56.9), Matthai eighth (25:09.5) and Parker Huhn 10th (25:13.7).

All 12 of UWL's runners placed in the top-37. Grant Matthai was 12th (25:19.8) with Elias Ritzke 13th (25:24.1), Reed Anderson 18th (25:46.1), Luke Chaffin 19th (25:50.3), Ben Stangel 26th (26:01.5), Jayden Zywicki 34th (26:10.9) and Adam Loenser 37th (26:14.9).

Matthai has competed in five meets this season. Along with placing eighth at the WIAC Championships, he was 13th (25:15.4) at the UWL Jim Drews Invitational on October 15 and 14th (26:58.1) at the Concordia University Wisconsin Invitational on September 10. Matthai finished 30th (26:18.5) at the University of Minnesota Roy Griak Invitational on September 23 and 48th (25:49.9) at the Olivet College (Mich.) National Preview Meet on October 1.

The Kwik Trip Newcomer of the Year was started in 2019. Matthai joins Michael Villa (2019) from UWL to earn the award.

UWL returns to action Saturday, November 12 at the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division III North Regional at the St. Olaf College (Minn.) Cross Country Trails in Northfield, Minnesota at noon.