Women's Cross Country | 9/18/2026 1:36:00 PM
Results
Fort Snelling, Minn. - The University of Wisconsin-La Crosse women's cross country team opened its 2026 season with a fifth-place finish at the 40th Annual University of Minnesota Roy Griak Invitational at Fort Snelling Golf Course.
RANKINGS
* UWL is ranked eighth on the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division III Poll. The Eagles are fifth on the D3 Glory Days Poll.
TEAM FINISH
* The Eagles finished with 167.0 team points. Minnesota won the team title (26.0 points) with Boise State University, Idaho second (45.0), North Dakota State University third (95.0), the University of St. Thomas, Minn. fourth (142). A total of 17 teams competed.
INDIVIDUAL FINISHERS
* UWL had six runners place in the top-46 on Friday, including
Julia Zalewski 34th with a time of 21:07.5 on the 6,000-meter course.
Hailey Carroll was 35th (21:09.4),
Madison Twarling 42nd (21:14.4),
Mallory Reiser 43rd (21:15.5),
Marah Benedict 44th (21:15.7) and
Annika Elliott 46th (21:16.5).
* Five other runners finished in the top-100.
Becca Immer placed 51st (21:22.8),
Milana Pisto 77th (21:47.5),
Stella Gruendemann 81st (21:55.9),
Lauren Wegand 96th (22:12.4) and
Hannah Miller 100th (22:16.8).
* The Eagles had 32 runners compete in the invitational.
Joelle Duty was 102nd (22:17.2),
Elizabeth Schwartz 103rd (22:17.5),
Ashley Wilson 106th (22:19.1),
Olivia Heilman 107th (22:21.0),
Brynn Edgin 112th (22:24.1),
Meredith Gilles 114th (22:24.5),
Sami Miller 120th (22:38.4),
Sydney Dee 125th (22:44.8),
Lily Higgins 126th (22:44.9),
Taylor Bussiere 131st (22:49.8),
Caidyn Breid 132nd (22:50.5),
Adela Peterson 134th (22:51.2),
Iris Dahl 139th (23:00.2),
Eileen Zopel 153rd (23:18.3),
Annabelle Nealey 154th (23:18.5),
Lily Newmeister 159th (23:24.2),
Nora Jillson 162nd (23:27.0),
Erin Geisler 165th (23:29.6),
Anna Zajac 169th (23:33.3),
Elie Volheim 173rd (23:45.4),
Johanna Rudolph 200th (24:44.9) and
Taylor Walsh 201st (24:47.8).
HEAD COACH
*
Derek Stanley is in his 15th season as the head coach of the UWL's women's and men's cross country teams. The women's squad has won eight Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) Championships and recorded six top-12 finishes at the national championships. The men's team has captured 10 league titles and back-to-back NCAA III Championships. The Eagles have recorded eight top-four finishes at the national meet.
INDIVIDUAL WINNER
* Isabelle Schmitz from the University of Minnesota won the individual title with a time of 19:44.8.
* A total of 240 runners completed the race.
UP NEXT
* UWL returns to action Saturday, October 3 at the Carleton College (Minn.) Running of the Cows at Bill Huyck Championship Course in Northfield, Minnesota at 11 a.m.
