2023 Results
Prescott, Wis. - The University of Wisconsin-La Crosse men's cross country team captured its sixth straight Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) Championship (Presented by Culver's) Saturday afternoon at Prescott (Wis.) High School.
UWL won its 38th league championship in program history with 22 team points. The 38 titles are the most in WIAC history. UW-Whitewater was second on Saturday with 41 points and UW-Stout third with 117. UW-Platteville placed fourth (123) followed by UW-Oshkosh (142), UW-Eau Claire (143), UW-Stevens Point (147) and UW-River Falls (260).
Five runners placed in the top-seven for UWL on Saturday with
Ethan Gregg finishing second with a time of 24:24.2 on the 8,000-meter course.
Grant Matthai was third (24:38.1),
Isaac Wegner fourth (24:43.6), Joey Sullivan sixth (24:56.0) and
Adam Loenser seventh (24:57.6).
Corey Fairchild finished 11th (25:02.4),
Luke Chaffin 13th (25:12.2),
Jayden Zywicki 14th (25:12.7) and
Elias Ritzke 17th (25:21.7). UWL's
Aidan Matthai placed 24th (25:41.2) with
Zach Slevin 25th (25:41.8) and
Will Aurit 26th (25:43.0).
The top-seven runners in the 8,000-meter race receive All-WIAC first team recognition, while runners placing eight through 14 earn All-WIAC second team accolades. Individuals finishing 15 through 20 claim honorable mention laurels.
UW-Whitewater's Christian Patzka took the individual title (24:20.5). A total of 91 runners completed the race.
Gregg earns his fourth career All-WIAC honor with the second-place finish Saturday. He captured the individual league title in 2022 while finishing second in 2021 and 10th in 2019. Wegner and Fairchild pick up their third all-conference recognition. Wegner was third in 2022 and fifth in 2021 with Fairchild finishing fifth last season and 16th in 2021.
Wegner was selected the 2023 WIAC Max Sparger Scholar-Athlete at the conclusion of the meet while
Reed Anderson was named to the WIAC All-Sportsmanship Team.
It is the third career All-WIAC award for Ritzke with his 17th-place showing this season. He was 13th in 2022 and 20th in 2021.
Grant Matthai and
Luke Chaffin both earn their second career honor after Matthai placed 12th and Chaffin 19th last season.
Twelve-year head coach
Derek Stanley has now led UWL to seven WIAC Championships (2012-13, 2017-19, 2021-23) while finishing second on three occasions (2014-16). A total of 74 All-WIAC men's cross country honors have been earned under Stanley at UWL, including 25 first team selections and 33 second team choices.
UWL returns to action at the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division III North Regional on Saturday, November 11 at Whitetail Golf Course in Colfax, Wisconsin.
