Finished fourth at Regionals
MARQUETTE, Mich. – The Northern Michigan cross country team will return to the NCAA Division II National Championships, earning an at-large bid for the first time as a team since 2017 and marking the program’s 10th overall appearance at the national meet, announced by the NCAA on Monday afternoon.
Ranked No. 12 nationally, the Wildcats secured the bid following a strong showing at the NCAA Midwest Regional Championships in Kenosha, Wisconsin, where NMU finished fourth out of 32 teams. Northern was led by All-Region honorees Mady Szymanski and Ashley Choponis, who placed 11th (21:17.45) and 20th (21:41.78), respectively, helping the Wildcats achieve their best regional finish since also placing fourth in 2017.
Northern’s top seven was rounded out by Sophia Potter (40th, 22:12.20), Lamar Gordon (43rd, 22:15.65), Beverly Harper (46th, 22:20.54), Emma Sweeney (49th, 22:26.00), and Dani VanLente (56th, 22:38.43). The team finished with 160 points, trailing only Grand Valley State (25), Cedarville (87), and Lewis (90)-all ranked among the top three in the Midwest Regional poll. Those three teams, along with the Wildcats and Walsh, will represent the Midwest on the national stage.
This will be NMU’s third trip to Kenosha this season, having competed there at the Midwest Regional Championships and at the Lucian Rosa Invite.
The NCAA Division II Cross Country Championships will take place in Kenosha, Wisconsin, on Saturday, November 22, with Northern looking to make its mark on the national stage as a team for just the 10th time in program history. The race will begin at 11 a.m. ET with 34 teams in contention.
