Szymanski paces Wildcats with third-place finish
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – The No. 16 Northern Michigan cross country team delivered a statement performance on Friday evening, racing to a first-place finish out of 18 teams at the Royals Challenge hosted by Queens University of Charlotte.
The Wildcats edged out No. 19 Catawba, tallying 39 points to 47 in a tightly contested race filled with nationally-ranked talent.
In the team’s first 5K race of the season, Madi Szymanski led the charge with a third-place finish in 17:18.7, marking her fourth straight top-10 performance after returning from injury last year. Szymanski’s time shattered her previous 5K personal best by more than a minute.
Not far behind, Ashley Choponis continued her breakout campaign, finishing fourth in 17:26.3. The freshman standout from Sidney, Michigan, was also the top underclassman among 164 runners.
Emma Sweeney rounded out NMU’s trio of top-10 finishers, clocking 17:40.3 for ninth place, a two-minute improvement from her previous 5K PR in 2023.
The Wildcats’ depth was on full display, with Beverly Harper (13th, 17:50.3) and Sophia Potter (15th, 17:52.6) rounding out the scoring group. NMU was the only team in the field to place five runners under the 18-minute mark, sealing the victory in impressive fashion.
The Green and Gold kept their momentum rolling with several more strong performances:
– Lamar Gordon – 22nd (18:03.9)
– Dani VanLente – 24th (18:07.6)
– Madalyn Agren – 27th (18:17.8)
Also competing for NMU were Lola Korpi (18:35.5), Ella DeBruyn (18:42.4), Maija Maki-Warne (18:42.7), Celia Wallace (18:48.6), and Anya VanSweden (19:15.0).
Sierra Bower (Unattached) won the individual title in 16:40.0, while Madison Clay (Catawba) finished runner-up at 17:15.8.
