Won Race at Kenosha, WI
MARQUETTE, Mich. – Northern Michigan cross country runner Ella DeBruyn has been named the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) Women’s Cross Country Athlete of the Week following her first collegiate individual victory at Saturday’s Lucian Rosa Invite in Kenosha, Wisconsin.
DeBruyn claimed the individual title in a field of 210 runners, crossing the finish line in 22:12.84 to finish 2.7 seconds ahead of the runner-up. After sitting in second place at the halfway point, DeBruyn used a 5:58 pace to move into the lead late in the race, passing the front-runner with 400 meters remaining to secure the win.
The victory marked Northern Michigan’s first individual meet champion since Madi Szymanski won the Northwood Invite on September 9, 2023.
DeBruyn’s performance also helped the Wildcats finish second among 20 teams and clubs with 66 points, trailing only Cedarville (38 points). Northern placed three runners in the top eight, with Lamar Gordon finishing fourth in 22:42.64 and Ashley Choponis taking eighth in 22:51.54.
