Women's Cross Country | 10/30/2026 8:30:00 AM
WIAC Championships Website
La Crosse, Wis. - The University of Wisconsin-La Crosse women's cross country team will look to earn its 15th league title, including sixth straight, at the 2026 Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) Championship (presented by Culver's) Saturday, October 31. The 48th annual championship race is scheduled for 12 p.m. at the UW-Whitewater Campus Course.
UWL won its fifth consecutive league crown last year with 21 points, the best team score at the championship since UW-Oshkosh's 19 points in 1996. UW-Eau Claire was second last year with 63 points. UW-Whitewater placed third (9)8 followed by UW-River Falls (124), UW-Stevens Point (140), UW-Oshkosh (144), UW-Stout Polytechnic (178) and UW-Platteville (189).
The Eagles' 14 league titles are second in conference history. UW-Oshkosh owns a conference-best 16 championships.
UWL is ranked third and UW-Eau Claire 15th in National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division III based on the October 21 rankings distributed by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA). UWL is also third with UW-Eau Claire 14th on the D3 Glory Days Poll.
Seven runners return for UWL who have earned All-WIAC honors at the league championships, including
Mallory Reiser with a pair of recognitions. She placed 11th at the 2024 WIAC Championships and 19th last season.
The Eagles'
Annika Elliott (fifth),
Milana Pisto (seventh),
Julia Zalewski (eighth),
Molly Novotny (11th),
Becca Immer (15th) and
Madison Twarling (16th) each earned 2025 All-WIAC honors.
Derek Stanley, in his 15th season as UWL's head coach, has led the Eagles to eight WIAC Championships (2013-14, 2016, 2021-25) while finishing second on five occasions (2012, 2015, 2017-19). A total of 93 All-WIAC cross country honors have been earned under Stanley, including 39 first team selections and 30 second team choices.
Annika Elliott was fifth at the
2025 WIAC Championships.
Sierra Rabe and
Hannah Beilke serve as assistant coaches with Rabe in her third season and Beilke in her sixth.
The top-seven runners in the 6,000-meter race will receive All-WIAC first team recognition, while runners placing eighth through 14th earn All-WIAC second team accolades. Individuals finishing 15th through 21st claim honorable mention laurels.
All eight WIAC teams will participate in the NCAA Division III North Regional on Saturday, November 14 at the St. Olaf College (Minn.) Cross Country Course in Northfield, Minnesota. The NCAA Division III Championships are set for Saturday, November 21 at the Bill Huyck Championship in Northfield, Minnesota.
