2022 NSIC Women's Cross Country Preseason Coaches' Poll

8/18/2022 10:00:00 AM

AUGUSTANA TOPS NSIC WOMEN'S CROSS COUNTRY PRESEASON POLL

BURNSVILLE, Minn. - Augustana University was picked to win the NSIC in the preseason women's cross country coaches' poll. The Vikings, the defending NSIC Champions, received all 15 first place votes (coaches cannot vote for their own team) and tallied 225 points to sit 28 points ahead of second place Minnesota Duluth (197). The University of Mary was a close third with 196 points and the other first place vote. Minnesota State (183) and Winona State (180) rounded out the top five.

The defending NSIC Champion Lindsay Cunningham of Winona State was named NSIC Preseason Athlete of the Year. Cunningham won the 2021 NSIC Championship by nearly 20 seconds, the NCAA Central Region title by 10 seconds and placed seventh at the NCAA Championships.

The 2022 NSIC cross country season gets underway on Friday, September 2 with the regular season culminating on Saturday, November 5 at the NSIC Cross Country Championship held in Wayne, Nebraska, hosted by Wayne State College. The NCAA Central Regional will be held on Saturday, November 19 in Joplin, Missouri while the NCAA National Championships will take place on December 3 at Chamber's Bay in University Place, Washington.

PRESEASON ATHLETE OF THE YEAR

Lindsay Cunningham (So., Wisconsin Dells, Wis. / Wisconsin Dells HS) - Winona State University

Defending NSIC Cross Country champion
Earned NCAA Division II Cross Country All-American honors after finishing seventh
Was the Roy Griak Invitational Champion with time of 21:44.9
Took top honors in 5,000 meters at Drake Relays with WSU record time of 16:05.36
Set a new NSIC record (34:09.57) in the 10,000-meters at last spring NSIC Outdoor T&F Championships

Lindsay is very dedicated and loves to run. She does all the supplementary drills, such as core, strength training, hip mobility and stretching that make her a better runner. It's her work ethic and passion to training that makes the difference. She had an exceptional track season and I expect her to continue to improve and to attain her goals.

Head Coach John Hibshman

SEASON PREVIEWS & PLAYERS TO WATCH

AUGUSTANA UNIVERSITY

The Augustana women's cross country team looks to carry the momentum from a successful 2021 season, which included championships from the NSIC and NCAA Central Region along with a third-place finish at the NCAA Division II Championships. The Vikings return five All-NSIC runners in 2022. Seniors Patty Jo English, Nicolette Schmidt and Megan Means each earned All-NSIC first team honors last season. Junior’s Mia Salas and Cami Streff each took home All-NSIC second team honors. The Vikings are returning 4 NCAA All-Americans including the NSIC Runner to Watch Megan Means. Means brought home an eighth place finish at the NCAA Division II Championships last season along with a 20th place finish from Nicolette Schmidt, a 28th place finish from Patty Jo English, and a 32nd place finish for Mia Salas. In all, Augustana competed in six meets in 2021 and never finished worse than third. Head coach Tracy Hellman was named the NSIC Coach of the Year for the NSIC for a seventh time while claiming his third USTFCCCA Central Region Coach of the Year.

Our women's team returns a strong and experienced group from last year's third place national finish. If we can stay healthy and motivated, we have the opportunity for some special things with this team.

Head Coach Tracy Hellman

Megan Means (Sr., Norfolk, Neb. / Norfolk HS)

NCAA All-American
USTFCCCA All-Region
First team All-NSIC
Placed eighth at the NCAA Division II Cross Country Championships running a time of 20:46.2
Placed second at the NCAA Division II Central Region Cross Country Championships running a time of 20:32.5
Placed third at the NSIC Cross Country Championships running a time of 21:42.1

Megan had a breakout season in cross country last fall. Her front running helped to shape our team's success and I am excited to see what she has in store this year.

Head Coach Tracy Hellman

BEMIDJI STATE UNIVERSITY

Bemidji State Cross Country is ready to hit the course again looking to improve upon its 11th place finish at the 2021 NSIC Championships and 29th at the NCAA Central Region Championship. Interim Head Coach Ben Baird begins his first season at the helm of the program that features five returning athletes who ran at the 2021 NSIC Championships including junior Mary Goodwin, BSU’s Athlete to Watch. From Eagle River, Alaska, Goodwin returns for her junior season after setting a personal record in the 6k at the NCAA Central Region Championship with a time of 23:27.51. Bemidji State will also have Zoey Mills, Carol Miller, Lily Johnson, Natalie Fultz, Emma Realing and Abby Syverson returning to the team this season.

The Beavers will open their six-meet schedule Sept. 9 with a meet day at the Dragon Twilight in Moorhead, Minn. BSU will follow with races at the Roy Griak Invitational on Sept. 23, the Jimmie Invite on Oct. 7, the Bob Waxlax Invite on Oct. 20, the NSIC Cross Country Championships on Nov. 5 and the NCAA Central Regional on Nov. 19.

I am very excited about the number of incoming athletes that did not run for us last year being added to a nice core of upperclassman. We have a good group of freshmen who have a lot of potential to grow, as well as a transfer, and another athlete returning after taking a year away, to go along with some solid leadership. I believe this crew will do a lot of growing together throughout the season, and hopefully improve our finish as a team despite losing a leader like (Ryne) Prigge to graduation.

Head Coach Benjamin Baird

Mary Goodwin (So., Eagle River, Alaska / Eagle River HS)

• Set a personal record in the 6K with a time of 23:27.51 at the NCAA Central Regional Championship last year.
• Had a season-best finish of 12th at the Bob Waxlax Invitational (6k) with a time of 23:43.9
• Finished 59th at the NSIC Championships with a time of 24:21.3

Mary has emerged as the leader of our cross country and distance programs, following in the footsteps of Ryne Prigge. She was either the number one or number two runner for the team in all of last year's cross country competitions as a freshman, and as a track and field athlete has our steeplechase record. I expect her to keep improving as a runner and leader during this 2022 season.

Head Coach Benjamin Baird

CONCORDIA UNIVERSITY, ST. PAUL

Concordia-St. Paul women's cross country is a program that has been on a steady ascent in the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference, improving or maintaining its place on the leaderboard at the NSIC Championships every year from 2015 to 2019. The Golden Bears, ranked 14th in the then-15 team league in 2015, have climbed up to ninth place in the 2019 NSIC Championships. Last season, a young group of CSP runners gained some crucial collegiate experience as they look to build off it heading into the 2022 season.

Concordia’s top finisher in the 2021 NSIC Championships, Avery Sivonen, was named as an athlete to watch after taking home an 83rd place finish. She is one of the two seniors on the roster, along with Jaid Perry, while Kelsey Thelen, Tess Houglum, Anna Sadjak and Emma Giger all return for their sophomore seasons.

The program is led by the steady leadership of head coach Jonathan Breitbarth. He is aided by Matt Buns, who was promoted to associate head coach of the program during the summer of 2021 in recognition of his steady contributions to the program from both a coaching and recruiting standpoint.

Concordia opens the season on Sept. 2 at the Augie Twilight at Yankton Trail Park in Sioux Falls, S.D. before heading east to the Br. John Paddy Doyle Meet of Champions in Riverdale N.Y. on Sept. 16.

We are looking forward to the 2022 season as four of our top five runners will be back. The leadership those returners bring will help our team focus on growth. In addition, we are adding a few hard-working incoming first-year athletes who will be an important part of our core group.

Head Coach Jonathan Breitbarth

Avery Sivonen (Sr., International Falls, Minn. / Falls HS)

NSIC Myles Brand Academic with Distinction Award winner
NSIC All-Academic Team of Excellence
Finished 83rd in NSIC Championships (25:16.2)
Set a personal best 5k time of 20:19.8 at the Augie Twilight
Set a personal best 6k time of 24:55.8 at the Lucian Rosa Invitational

Avery is a patient runner. She exemplifies the characteristics of a distance runner. She puts in the work every day with the confidence that those small improvements add up to a successful year. We are looking forward to significant things out of Avery this fall.

Head Coach Jonathan Breitbarth

UNIVERSITY OF MARY

Coming off an impressive 10th place finish at the 2021 NCAA championships, the University of Mary women’s cross country team looks to extend a streak of six straight national championship appearances in 2022. Under the direction of new head coach Chris Lessard, the Marauders feature a youthful cast headlined by four sophomores, three of whom ran at the 2021 NCAA finals with a fourth who missed out on nationals due to injury.

All-American Alyssa Becker will lead the Marauders charge. The sophomore paced UMary with a 17th place finish at her first NCAA championships. UMary finished 2nd at the Northern Sun championships as the native of Seabeck, Wash., placed 7th in the conference meet. Becker’s outstanding cross country season carried into the indoor track season as she had top-3 finishes in the 3000 and 5000 meter runs at the NSIC championship meet to earn all-league honors.

Andrijana Fundak, Kristine Kalthoff and Ellen Moore all return after strong first cross country seasons racing for UMary. After running among the Marauders top 6 much of the year Fundak missed nationals due to injury. Kalthoff placed 50th at the regional. Filling in for Fundak at nationals, Moore rounded out the Marauders team scoring after placing 139th in the country at her first NCAA meet. Both Fundak and Kalthoff are now sophomores while Moore is a junior.

Senior Kiran Green, an all-NSIC performer as a freshman in 2019, also returns for the Marauders

UMary opens their season at the MSU Moorhead Twilight Meet on September 9 before taking on the challenge of the prestigious Roy Griak Invitational on September 23. Overall the Marauders will race in four meets prior to the start of championship season starting with the NSIC championships on November 5.

I'm excited to see some of the amazing individual steps each person on the team will make while also shocking themselves as to what they can accomplish when they are counted on as a team! They are a group eager to prove themselves and see how far they have come from previous years of leadership and successful history! I truly believe this group will rise to the occasion when it matters most.

Head Coach Chris Lessard

Alyssa Becker (So., Seabeck, Wash. / Klahowya Secondary)

All-American as a true freshman when she placed 17th at the 2021 NCAA cross country championships
First Team All-Northern Sun following a 7th place finish at the 2021 conference championships
Claimed 6th at the 2021 NCAA Central Regional
2x All-NSIC runner at the 2022 indoor championships (2nd in 3000, 3rd in 5000)

Alyssa has had an incredible summer and is eager to expand on what she was able to accomplish last year! The culture she brings to the team with her dedication, hard work, and quirky demeaner is something that will lead our team to new heights over her career!

Head Coach Chris Lessard

UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA CROOKSTON

The Minnesota Crookston women's cross country team set several personal bests last year and they look to continue to improve heading into 2022. The Golden Eagles are led by sophomore Anna Grabowski (Waterdown, Ontario). The Golden Eagles are in their fourth season as a program, and they have been under the leadership of Head Coach Steven Krouse. Minnesota Crookston also returns Brooke Benson (Sr., Monroe, Wash.), Alex Christen (R-So., Sauk Centre, Minn.), Madison Elijah (So., Hebron, N.D.), Katie Orth (R-Sr., Randall, Minn.), Rena Sakai (Sr., Chiba, Japan), and Alyssa Stillman (Sr., Hortonville, Wis.). They have added newcomers Madison Hilliard (Fr., Jacksonville, N.C.) and Breanna Shaw (Sr., Bemidji, Minn.).

Even though our team placement was not where we wanted it to be, we had some great individual performances to end last season. This motivated the team during the spring where they worked incredibly hard and showed up every day with a positive attitude. It is very competitive conference, but with a year of experience under us, I expect us to compete at a higher level than we did in 2021. I am excited to see what the team can accomplish!

Head Coach Steven Krouse

Anna Grabowski (So., Waterdown, Ontario / Waterdown District HS)

Led the Golden Eagles with a time of 25:51.70 at the NCAA Division II Central Region Championship
Placed 24th at the Jimmie Invitational in the 5K with a time of 20:57.2
Returns for her second season with the Golden Eagles
Set a personal record at the Roy Griak Invitational for the distance, with a time of 26:01.3

It is never an ideal position for a team to rely on a true freshman to be their number one runner. Last year Anna embraced the challenge and did not let the pressure get to her as she improved her time in every race. Anna worked hard all spring and is a runner who holds herself to high standards. I expect her to lead our team again this year and think she has great potential.

Head Coach Steven Krouse

UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA DULUTH

The University of Minnesota Duluth women's cross country team is coming off a 2021 campaign that saw their highest national ranking (18th) since 2017. The Bulldogs finished third at last season's NSIC Conference Championship as well as the NCAA Central Region Championships. UMD is returning five of the seven women who competed on last year's NCAA championship qualifying team. This year's team will be led by returners Morgan Radel, Haleigh Reindl, Julia Nielsen, and Maddie Verkerke. Andover (MN) native Julia Nielsen looks to build upon her personal best time of 21:13.0 (6K) while returning Outdoor All-American Haleigh Reindl looks to build upon her past performances. Along with an exciting incoming freshman class, the team has all the pieces to make a return trip to the NCAA National Championships.

Our women's team is looking to repeat a trip to the National Championships come this December. We have extremely talented newcomers joining us, looking to make a huge impact right away. The Bulldog women are an outstanding group of leaders and I'm looking forward to building off the incredible year they had last season.

Head Coach Brette Jensen

Julia Nielsen (Jr., Andover, Minn. / Andover HS)

Member of the 2022 NCAA National Championship qualifying team
2022 First Team All-Conference Team member (8th overall)
Personal best time of 21:30.0 at the NCAA Central Region Championships (2022)
NCAA Division II All-Region (Central) team member (2022)

Julia has made great strides throughout the past three seasons as a Bulldog. She had huge breakthrough performances in the longer distances this past winter and spring that have set her up for an incredible fall. Julia's experience, confidence, and leadership will shine through this fall and I'm excited to see all of her hard work pay off!

Head Coach Brette Jensen

MINNESOTA STATE UNIVERSITY, MANKATO

Now entering her 23rd season as head coach of the Minnesota State women's cross country program, Jen Blue sees promise with this year's team. The Mavericks, who are coming off a fourth-place conference finish and an 11th-place finish at regions in 2021, will be a veteran-laden squad with all six competitors at last year's region meet returning. Ranked 21st in the national polls at one point last year (Minnesota State's first ranking in the national polls since 2012), the Mavericks will be led by senior Amanda Montplaisir. The Buffalo, Minn., native placed 10th in the regional meet in 2021 and was 11th at the NSIC Championship. Other top returnees include senior Mackenzie Gaherty (27th at NSIC Championship, 65th at regions), sophomore Ashlin Young (30th at NSIC Championship, 68th at regions), junior Makenna Thurston (19th at NSIC Championship), sophomore Makayla Bishop (31st at NSIC Championship) and sophomore Alyssa Rauk (42nd at NSIC Championship).

I am very excited for this upcoming season! We had a successful season last year, but we have more team goals that we want to achieve, and I believe this is the team to do it. We have everyone returning from last year's team and are bringing in a good recruiting class that will add to our depth.

Head Coach Jen Blue

Amanda Montplaisir (Sr., Buffalo, Minn. / Buffalo HS)

Placed 10th at 2021 NCAA DII Central Region Meet
Has competed in three NCAA Regional Meets during career
Placed 11th at 2021 NSIC Championship
Finished fifth at 2021 Roy Griak Invitational hosted by the University of Minnesota

Amanda has been an asset to our program since her freshman year. She is one of the hardest working and dedicated athletes that I have coached in my 22 years both as an athlete and in the classroom. She has been a leader for our team is able to push her teammates to be their best. Her work ethic and leadership are something that her teammates and I can rely on. I'm excited for her senior year after a successful junior year with a Top 10 Region cross country finish and earning Second Team All-America honors in the steeplechase last spring.

Head Coach Jen Blue

MINNESOTA STATE UNIVERSITY MOORHEAD

Junior Payton Lane leads a young Dragon roster with no seniors in 2022. She had a pair of top five finishes during the cross country season, including a second at Jamestown in 2021.
Sophomores Aislin Anderson, Grace Dorsher and Kenzie O'Connell also return with experience from the 2021 squad. Four freshmen will look to contribute immediately.

We have solid core of returners and incoming freshman who will have the ability to compete well in November's championships.

Head Coach Ryan Milner

Payton Lane (So., Fargo, N.D. / Davies HS)

Was team's top runner in 2021
Had two top five finishes
Finished second at Jimmie Invitational and fourth at Dragon Twilight
Was team's top runner at both NSIC and NCAA Central Region meets

Payton has amazing potential. I'm excited to have her leading our team this season.

Head Coach Ryan Milner

MINOT STATE UNIVERSITY

The Minot State cross country teams look to build off a strong 2021 season that saw the women finish in the upper half of the NSIC standings. Second-year coach Sarah Fowler returns a bulk of the top performers. Strong team adds depth as to a roster that returns Paulette Dominguez, Lauren Reeves, and Sidra Sadowsky, who helped Minot State finish eighth at last fall’s NSIC Championship. The Beavers also return track runners Jessica Martinez and Monica Okopal who will make their cross-country debut after Martinez was a top distance runner and Okopal a top middle-distance runner in track. They’ll be helped out by the addition of transfer Aleisha Ford, from NCAA D-II Texas Permian Basin, and freshman Emery Smith from Utah.

I'm very excited to see where the team goes this season. We're very much underdogs with half of the roster being newcomers and losing some of our heavy hitters from last year. Our team looks very different, but different isn't always bad. Our team chemistry is better than ever. The ladies are bought in, working hard, and building fitness. They're light years ahead of where they were in August of last year and that's a testament to their desire to keep building off the historic year we had as a men's and women's program last year. I think the ladies are really going to surprise some people and I can't wait.

Head Coach Sarah Fowler

Paulette Dominguez (So., Aliso Viejo, Calif. / El Toro HS)

Beavers top finished at NCAA Central Region Championship (77th in 22:50.27)
In Top 10 at Minot State - NCAA D-II era - for 4K (15:26.1) and 6K (22:50.3)
In Top 10 at Minot State - NCAA D-II era - in the mile, 3,000, and 5,000 meters in indoor track
Holds NCAA D-II era school record in 5,000 meters (18:11.94) in outdoor track

Paulette had a very impressive freshman year and has really been building off that fitness this summer. Paulette is one of the most driven athletes I've worked with and her desire to be great can be seen day in and day out with the way she carries herself, executes workouts, and does all the little things it takes to be the best. Not only that, she is fun to work with, so coachable, and genuinely makes practice fun. She's all around great for the program. She's ready to bust out onto the scene and run with the best in this conference.

Head Coach Sarah Fowler

NORTHERN STATE UNIVERSITY

Northern State enters the 2022 season with eight student-athletes on the roster, all returners from the 2021 season. NSU took seventh from the NSIC Cross Country Championships in 2021 and 18th at the NCAA Central Region Championships. Megan Pickering was the team’s highest finisher at both events. The junior was tabbed as the Wolves runner to watch for the upcoming season. Northern kicks off the season on September 2 at the Augustana Twilight.

This team shows a lot of promise. Their experience, drive, and commitment are key factors in their success. Their focus on the goal and devotion to each other have created the perfect storm of a high-academic, no-excuses team. I expect them to continue to improve upon performances and climb the ladder in the NSIC team standings.

Head Coach Megan Kuehl

Megan Pickering (Jr., Brandon, S.D. / Brandon Valley HS)

Finished in the top-50 at the NSIC Championships and NCAA Central Region Meet
Tallied personal bests in the 4K, 5K, and 6K

Megan showed tremendous improvement this past year. She has put a lot of time and effort into her training, and she truly has no limits. I am excited to watch Megan continue to develop her leadership role on the team as well as have a breakthrough in performances.

Head Coach Megan Kuehl

UNIVERSITY OF SIOUX FALLS

The Cougars look to up their standings this season as they return 13 runners from last season. In 2021, the Cougars finished 6th in the NSIC Championships with a young squad but continue to build off of last season’s championship efforts. The Cougars will open their season at the Augustana Twilight in Sioux Falls on September 2nd.

Our entire top seven runners from the NSIC Championships and NCAA Central Region meet return this year. Everyone had very good track seasons and they are ready to prove themselves in the standings at the NSIC Championships.

Head Coach Doug Petersen

Khot Juac (Jr., Sioux Falls, S.D. / Washington HS)

Ran in six meets in 2021
Finished 13th in the 5K at the SDSU Classic with a time of 18:54.4
Finished 69th in the 6K at the NCAA Division II Central Region Cross Country Championships with a time of 22:37.2

Khot had a strong Cross Country season in 2021 and really established herself as a top runner during the indoor and outdoor season. She placed in both the indoor and outdoor track championships and set multiple school records.

Head Coach Doug Petersen

SOUTHWEST MINNESOTA STATE UNIVERSITY

The Southwest Minnesota State University women’s cross country team, under the direction of fourth-year head coach Kirk Nauman, features a roster of two seniors, six sophomores and two true freshmen.

Senior Caitlyn Regan was SMSU’s highest finisher at last season’s NSIC Championships with a 98th place time. Sophomore Catherine Ihrke had a solid rookie season in 2021, finishing 110th at the NSIC Championships and second at the Dakota State Invite. Sophomores Savanna Busch, Macie Langstraat, Josephine Lentz and Brycelyn Hanson all return after competing as true freshmen in 2021.

SMSU will have a pair of transfers in senior Hannah Koepfinger and sophomore Arnel Dayib and two true freshmen, Natalie Jorschumb and Kyra Kusnierek join the team this fall.

We have a team that is almost all freshmen and sophomores. We had a lot of growth last year as a group and I look forward to more of the same this upcoming fall.

Head Coach Kirk Nauman

Catherine Ihrke (So., New Lenox, Ill. / Lincoln Way Central HS)

Competed in five races during the 2021 season
Ran to a second-place finish at the Dakota State Invite
Finished 110th at the 2021 NSIC Championships

Catherine gets after it and puts in the work. She did not race much in high school and is a bit of a diamond in the rough. She has made a quick progression at the college level.

Head Coach Kirk Nauman

ST. CLOUD STATE UNIVERSITY

St. Cloud State Cross Country returns a talented roster that earned a top-10 finish at the NSIC Championships last season under the direction of head coach Sam Kettenhofen. Second Team All-NSIC honoree Cheresa Bouley leads the way after placing 16th at the NSIC Championships and recording a personal-best 21:59.5 time at the NCAA Central Region Championships.

The Huskies’ strong upperclassmen corps of Bouley, Clara Welhouse, Erica Conrad and Marianna Guerra-Reese are supported by a talented underclass as the program looks to build off a top-25 finish at the NCAA Central Region Championships. Allie Butte, Greta Freed, Cambrie Kowal and Lauren Sertich are back for their second campaign in the Red & Black while Iris Guider, Jaileen Medina and Laura Stevensen join the Huskies as freshmen.”

We are looking forward to beginning practices and competitions this fall. We have a great group of returners and will add in some talented newcomers to the group. There is a lot of potential and ability that can build on what they accomplished last year as well as the work they put in over the summer.

Head Coach Sam Kettenhofen

Cheresa Bouley (Sr., Zimmerman, Minn. / Zimmerman HS)

Finished 16th at the 2021 NSIC Championships with a time of 22:41.84
Earned All-NSIC Second Team honors in 2021
Competed in each of SCSU’s three races and went on to compete at both the NSIC Conference Championship and NCAA DII Regional Championship
Recorded a new personal record at the NCAA DII Regional Championship (11/6/21), running 21:59.5

Cheresa has had a fantastic career thus far and will look to continue that this season. She was a top 20 finisher at last year's conference championship and with her work ethic and continued development improving on that finish is a definite possibility. Excited to see what she can do!

Head Coach Sam Kettenhofen

UPPER IOWA UNIVERSITY

Head Coach Nate Rucker is set to lead the Upper Iowa women’s cross country team into action again this fall. Last season, the Peacocks placed 13th at the NSIC Championships with an average time of 26:33.60 to finish the 6K course and 31st at the NCAA Central Regional with an improved average time of 25:24.00 to complete the 6K map. Graduate Brianna Crouch led the women at both events, while Ashley Donovan ran her best time of the season at the 2021 NSIC Championships. Donovan returns for her final season ready to lead the team in 2022. Upper Iowa opens the fall at Luther College on Sept. 10 and will compete four times prior to this year’s NSIC Championships.

We have solid group of ladies for this upcoming season. We have a good balance of upper classmen along with some young talent in the mix. It should make for a fun season with this group of young women!

Head Coach Nate Rucker

Ashley Donovan (Sr., Dubuque, Iowa / Dubuque Senior HS)

Ran a season best of 24:56.49 at the NSIC Championships
Earned a spot on the NSIC All-Academic Team of Excellence
Recorded an average time of 25:00.7 in 6k races and 20:85.4 in 5k races

I am excited to see Ashley in her senior season this fall. She has been a tremendous athlete to have on the team over the last four years with her leadership and work ethic. I feel she is primed for a great senior campaign. I cannot wait to get the year started and see her race!

Head Coach Nate Rucker

WAYNE STATE COLLEGE

Veteran Wayne State women’s cross country coach Marlon Brink has a young squad entering the 2022 season as over half of the roster (6 of 11) are true freshmen and new to collegiate cross country. Brink will look to four juniors to provide leadership for this year’s team, led by Brooke Solomon who was the #2 Wildcat runner last season in all six meets. Other juniors on the team are Kelsey Larsen, Kylie Pachta and Alison Stineman. Brink is looking for the six freshmen to compete for top five spots and bring depth to the Wildcat roster this season. Wayne State hosts a pair of meets this season, the Wildcat Classic on September 23rd and the Northern Sun Conference Championships on November 5th. The ‘Cats open the 2022 season under the lights at the Augustana Twilight Invite on Friday, September 2nd.

We have a solid core group of athletes returning from last year, with several newcomers who will be challenging each other for a spot in the top 5. I am excited to see how much progress we can make during the season and also from last year. I think this group has the potential to move up in the NSIC standings.

Head Coach Marlon Brink

Brooke Solomon (Jr., Yankton, S.D. / Yankton HS)

No. 2 runner at all six meets for WSC last season
Two top 10 finishes last season
8th at WSC Wildcat Classic
10th place finish at Morningside Invite

Brooke is a hard working individual, who is constantly pushing herself to get better. She was a consistent #2 runner on our team last year and will be looked to help lead the young team we have this year, with the graduation of our top runner from last year - Allie Rosener. She has a good attitude and always tries to stay positive about everything. She had a good track season last year and is hoping to build off of that and have an even better cross country season this year.

Head Coach Marlon Brink

WINONA STATE UNIVERSITY

The Winona State University women’s cross country team heads into the 2022 campaign with a deep roster of talent, led by one of the elite NCAA Division II distance runners in the country, Lindsay Cunningham.

Cunningham was named the 2022 NSIC Women’s Cross Country Preseason Athlete-of-the-Year by the coaches across the league, a testimonial to her dominant 2021 performance. The Wisconsin Dells, Wis. product won every regular season race she entered last year, finishing first in five different competitions, including the prestigious Roy Griak Invitational, hosted by the University of Minnesota. Cunningham cruised to a seventh-place finish at the 2021 NCAA Cross Country Championships, earning All-America honors in the process.

While head coach John Hibshman will enjoy having the defending NSIC cross country champion leading the Warrior pack, WSU also has depth this season that should help the team move up the Conference ranks.

Twelve runners will take to the course this fall, and three seniors, Kaylee Beyer, Andrea Fromelt and Rachel Hoffman lend experience to the team. Beyer is coming off an outstanding 2021 track & field season in which she earned USTFCCA All-American honors in the 1,500-meters and currently owns four WSU all-time marks.

Winona State will open the season at the University of Green Bay on Sept. 9, competing in the Phoenix Open.

We have a team that wants to compete and become better. Our team is cohesive and is ready for the challenge. The seniors are showing good leadership and we have some nice incoming freshmen that should make us very competitive. We want to continue to be very competitive in our conference and make the national meet.

Head Coach John Hibshman

Lindsay Cunningham (So., Wisconsin Dells, Wis. / Wisconsin Dells HS)

Defending NSIC Cross Country champion
Earned NCAA Division II Cross Country All-American honors
Was the Roy Griak Invitational Champion with time of 21:44.9
Took top honors in 5,000 meters at Drake Relays with WSU record time of 16:05.36
Set a new NSIC record (34:09.57) ) in the 10,000-meters at last spring NSIC Outdoor T&F Championships

Lindsay is very dedicated and loves to run. She does all the supplementary drills, such as core, strength training, hip mobility and stretching that make her a better runner. Its her work ethic and passion to training that makes the difference. She had an exceptional track season and I expect her to continue to improve and to attain her goals.

Head Coach John Hibshman

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