WINTHROP, Minn. - The University of Northwestern Women's Cross Country team traveled to Winthrop, Minnesota, for their first official meet in nearly a month and showed no signs of rust. The Eagles ran together with purpose, capturing their first UMAC Championship title in 25 years. In just his second season as head coach, Patrick Fitzgerald has led the program from a fourth-place finish at last year's championship to third in the preseason coaches' poll, and now all the way to a conference title.
The Eagles dominated the 6,000-meter race, scoring 30 points to finish 15 points ahead of second-place Crown College. Nearly every returning runner improved their time from last year's championship. The biggest leap came from junior Emery Maki (Hibbing, Minn./Hibbing), who placed second with a time of 23:17.1, nearly one minute and forty-five seconds faster than her 2024 mark. Finishing in fourth place was Natalie Van De Riet (Albertville, Minn./St. Michael-Albertville) with a time of 23:51.7, followed closely by Isabelle Yuhanna (Ham Lake, Minn./North Lakes Academy) in sixth place, stopping the clock at 24:03.6, a 47-second improvement from last year. 10 seconds later, Caroline Ringsmuth (Maple Grove, Minn./Maple Grove) crossed the finish line, claiming seventh place in 24:13.1, also dropping her mark from last year. Rounding out the scoring was Cheyanne Scalese (Lancaster, Minn./Lancaster Public) in 11th place with a time of 24:27.6. Alicia Arredondo (Robbinsdale, Minn./Homeschool) also earned a top-15 finish, taking 13th place with a time of 24:56.3, over a minute faster than her time in 2024.
The rest of the Eagles' lineup included, Chloe Zimmerman (Helena, Mont./Capital) in 19th place, clocking 26:01.5, Mariah Klippenes (South Haven, Minn./Annandale) in 21st with a time of 26:05.7 and Torah Barrett (Belle Plaine, Minn./Jordan) in 24th turning in a 26:20.6 time. Samary Acuna (Inver Grove Heights, Minn./Simley), Kimberlyn Case (Sleepy Eye, Minn./Litchfield), Jessica Morrone (Phillips, Wis./Phillips), and Kennedy Van De Riet (St. Michael, Minn./St. Michael-Albertville) also finished with times of 27:51.0, 28:38.6, 30:28.2, and 31:03.9, respectively.
With this championship victory, the Eagles now turn their attention to the NCCAA National Championships in Joplin, Missouri, on November 14, where the women's race begins at 10:45 a.m. on the Tom Rutledge Cross Country Course.
