2014 WIAC Women's Cross Country Championship Preview University of Wisconsin-La Crosse will strive for a second consecutive first-place finish when the nine conference teams gather at the 2014 Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) Women’s Cross Country Championship. The 37th annual meet will be hosted by UW-La Crosse at Ettrick Golf Course in Ettrick, Wis., on Nov. 1. The Eagles claimed the seventh conference crown in program history a season ago with 34 points to exceed UW-Stevens Point's second-place sum of 78 points. UW-River Falls finished third with 86 points, UW-Eau Claire fourth with 86, UW-Oshkosh fifth with 119, UW-Platteville sixth with 129, UW-Stout seventh with 200, UW-Whitewater eighth with 232 and UW-Superior ninth with 286. UW-La Crosse is ranked No. 13 in the NCAA Division III based on Oct. 22 rankings distributed by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association. Eagle senior Laura Mead is the defending individual champion, while UW-Platteville senior Danielle Kunkel finished second a season ago. Mead has posted first-place finishes at the Concordia (Wis.) Invitational and Roy Griak Invitational, while placing second at the Tori Neubauer Invitational. Kunkel owns first-place performances at the Pioneer Gender Equity Invitational and UW-Oshkosh Open, while finishing third at the Augustana College (Ill.) Invitational and Tori Neubauer Invitational. She also placed fourth at the 2011 WIAC championship. Returning runners that have earned All-WIAC accolades at previous conference championships include: UW-Eau Claire junior Lucy Ramquist (11th-2011, 16th-2013) and sophomores Kelsey Jaeger (12th-2012) and Sydney Pretasky (17th-2013); UW-La Crosse seniors Corissa Conard (18th-2011, 13th-2012) and Rebecca Zych (9th-2013), along with juniors Natalie Powell (6th-2012, 6th-2013) and Ellen Smith (19th-2012); UW-Oshkosh sophomore Kylee Verhasselt (8th-2013); UW-Platteville junior Kiera Depies (13th-2013); UW-Stevens Point senior Ana Breit (14th-2012, 7th-2013), Lauren Dilley (20th-2013) and Melissa Kohlhagen (20th-2012) and sophomore Emily Ellman (19th-2013). The top seven runners in the 6,000-meter race will receive All-WIAC first team recognition, while runners placing eight through 14 earn All-WIAC second team accolades. Individuals finishing 15 through 20 claim honorable mention laurels. All nine WIAC teams will return to action on Nov. 15, and participate in the NCAA Division III Midwest Regional at Lake Breeze Golf Club in Winneconne, Wis. The regional event will be hosted by UW-Oshkosh. The NCAA Division III Championship is scheduled for Nov. 22, at The Golf Center at Kings Island in Mason, Ohio, and will be hosted by Wilmington College (Ohio). # # # # #