Championships Website

La Crosse, Wis. - The University of Wisconsin-La Crosse women's cross country team is set to compete at the 2024 National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division III Championships Saturday, November 23, at LaVern Gibson Championship Course in Terre Haute, Indiana.  The women's race begins at 10 a.m. (Central). Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology (Ind.) is serving as host of the championships.

The Eagles will be represented at the NCAA III Championships by seniors Katelyn Chadwick of Poynette (H.S.), Madelynn McIntyre of Broadhead (Broadhead-Juda) and Sierra Rabe of Onalaska (Holmen), juniors Gwen Hinz of Freedom (H.S.) and Brooklyn Luebke of Maribel (Manitowoc Lutheran), sophomore Mallory Reiser of Stoughton (H.S.) and freshman Madison Twarling of Lake Villa, Ill. (Lakes Community).
 
Senior Karlie Meyer of La Crosse (Aquinas), junior Lucy Duchac of Sussex (Arrowhead) and freshman Julia Zalewski of Lino Lakes, Minn. (Centennial) are listed as UWL's alternates.
 
McIntyre is making her fourth career appearance at the NCAA Division III Championships. She placed 172nd in 2021, 120th in 2022 and 84th in 2023. Chadwick (57th), Hinz (187th) and Rabe (167th) all competed in last year's national championships in their first career appearance. 

Luebke, Reiser, Twarling, Meyer, Duchac and Zalewski would be running in their first NCAA III Championship. 

UWL is making its 38th appearance in the NCAA Division III Championships.  The Eagles have recorded 14 top-six finishes in school history, including eight in the top-four.  UWL won the national title in 1983 and placed second in 1982.  The Eagles placed 10th last season.

The Eagles placed ninth in 2018 as Sadie Kroll (12th) and Hannah Beilke (18th) earned NCAA III All-America honors. It marked the first time since 2005 that UWL had a pair of All-America honors when Julia Rudd placed second and Kristen Painter 35th. 

UWL has 11 individuals in school history finish in the top-10 at the NCAA III Championships. Tori Neubauer captured the individual national title in 1982 and 1983.  Other top-10 finishes include: Patty Reynolds (fifth) and Sheri Winter (sixth) in 1985; Winter (fourth) in 1986; Sara Gilles (ninth) in 1988; Sarah Bashinski (ninth) in 1996; Jenny Fielder (eighth) in 1999; Rudd (second) in 2005; Stephanie Perleberg (seventh) in 2009 and Laura Mead (10th) in 2014.

UWL earned an automatic bid to the 2024 NCAA Division III Championships after winning the NCAA Division III North Regional November 16 in Northfield, Minnesota. The Eagles finished with 63 team points while St. Olaf College (Minn.) was second with 99 and Carleton College (Minn.) third with 114 points. A total of 31 teams competed.
UWL had six runners place in the top-17 with  McIntyre leading the Eagles with a 10th-place finish, completing the 6,000-meter course in 22:23.0.  Reiser placed 11th (22:24.9) with Chadwick 12th (22:25.3).
 
Hinz finished 14th (22:33.3),  Rabe 16th (22:37.4) and Luebke 17th (22:37.6).
 
McIntyre, Reiser, Chadwick, Hinz, Rabe and Luebke earned U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) Division III All-North Region accolades with their top-35 finish. UWL's Duchac finished 41st (23:14.2).

In the 2024 pre-championships poll by the USTFCCCA, UWL is ranked 11th in NCAA Division III. Massachusetts Institute of Technology is ranked first followed by the University of Chicago (Ill.) second, Johns Hopkins University (Md.) third and Colorado College fourth.

UWL head coach Derek Stanley has led the women's team to seven (2013-14, 2016, 2021-24) Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) titles. UWL placed sixth at the 2016 NCAA Division III Championships, the team's best finish since a fourth-place showing in 2005. The Eagles finished 10th in 2023 and 15th in 2022, while placing 11th in 2021,19th in 2019 and ninth at the 2018 national meet. UWL was 12th in 2015, 13th in 2014, 19th in 2013, 25th in 2012 and 17th in 2017.

He has led the men's squad to nine (2012-13, 2017-19, 2021-24) WIAC Championships. The Eagles have recorded top-four finishes at the NCAA Division III Championships in six different seasons under Stanley, including second in 2017 and 2023. UWL was third in 2013, 2014 and 2018 and fourth in 2012.  The Eagles finished ninth in 2015, sixth in 2016 and eighth in 2022.

Stanley was an assistant men's cross country coach and assistant women's and men's track & field coach for the Eagles in 2011-12.