Colfax,
Wis.--University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point won the Wisconsin Intercollegiate
Athletic Conference (WIAC) women's cross country championship for the first
time in school history on Saturday, November 1 at Whitetail Golf Course. The
league meet was hosted by UW-Stout.The Pointers finished with 26 team points to surpass UW-Oshkosh, who placed second with 52 points. The 26 points by UW-Stevens Point were the best in conference history since UW-Oshkosh amassed 19 points during the 1996 conference meet.
UW-La Crosse, the two-time defending champion, placed third with 86 points, followed by UW-Eau Claire with 126, UW-Stout with 154, UW-River Falls with 162, UW-Whitewater with 172, UW-Platteville with 193 and UW-Superior with 284.
Sophomore Jenna Mitchler led the Pointers with a third-place finish on the 5,000-meter course in a time of 22:10. Junior Megan placed fourth with a time of 22:13, while junior Leah Herlache finished fifth with a time of 22:21, sophomore Teresa Stanley placed sixth with a time of 22:30 and senior Isabelle Delanney completed the course in 22:44 to place eighth.
UW-Oshkosh junior Elizabeth Woodworth claimed the individual title with a time of 21:05, becoming the sixth runner in school history to win the league's individual crown with the six runners combining to win 10 titles.
UW-La Crosse junior Julia Rudd, the defending individual champion, placed second with a time of 23:20, while UW-Eau Claire senior Melissa Wright finished seventh with a time of 22:38. The top seven individuals received All-WIAC First Team recognition, while competitors placing 8-14 earned All-WIAC Second Team accolades.
UW-Stevens Point head coach Len Hill was voted the Coach of the Year by the league coaches, while UW-Whitewater's Melissa Lutz received the Judy Kruckman Scholar-Athlete Award.
