2019 WIAC Women's Cross Country Championship Preview

University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire will aim for a third consecutive championship at the 2019 Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) Women’s Cross Country Championship (presented by Culver’s). The 42nd assembling of conference teams will be hosted by UW-Platteville at Cole Acres Golf Course in Cuba City, Wis., on Nov. 2. The women’s race will start at 1 p.m. and be preceded by the men’s competition at noon.
 
The Blugolds secured the 10th title in program history in 2018 with 39 points to surpass UW-La Crosse’s second-place total of 63 points. UW-Oshkosh finished third with 110 points, UW-Stout fourth with 117, UW-River Falls fifth with 121, UW-Stevens Point sixth with 129, UW-Platteville seventh with 139 and UW-Whitewater eighth with 201. UW-Oshkosh owns a conference-best 16 titles, while UW-Eau Claire’s 10 first-place finishes are second, UW-La Crosse is third at nine and UW-Stevens Point has two.
 
Two teams are ranked among the finest in the NCAA Division III based on Oct. 23 rankings distributed by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association. UW-Eau Claire is ranked 11th, while UW-La Crosse is 23rd.
 
Returning runners that have secured All-WIAC honors at previous conference championships consist of:
UW-Eau Claire’s Liz Cisewski (10th-2017), Emma Drangstveit (13th-2018), Alanna Huggett (20th-2018), Naomi Long (12th-2018), Maggie Louiselle (18th-2016) and Lexie Tremble (eighth-2018); UW-La Crosse’s Rachel Jeffers (18th-2017) and McKenzie Kirtz (13th-2016); UW-Oshkosh’s Hannah Lohrenz (ninth-2018); and UW-Stevens Point’s Georgia Harrison (11th-2018) and Katie Schaefer (16th-2018).
 
Additional conference runners producing strong performances for their teams this fall include: UW-Platteville’s Brenna Kautz and Caitlyn Ifft; UW-River Falls’ Katelyn Abledinger and Emma Deutsch; UW-Stout’s Brittany Staab; and UW-Whitewater’s Jessie Braun and Sydney Prestifilippo.
 
The top seven runners in the 6,000-meter race will receive All-WIAC first team recognition, while runners placing eighth through 14th earn All-WIAC second team accolades. Individuals finishing 15th through 20th claim honorable mention status.
 
All eight WIAC teams will return to action on Nov. 16, and participate in the NCAA Division III Midwest Regional, which will be held at Lake Breeze Golf Club in Winneconne, Wis., and hosted by UW-Oshkosh. Spalding University (Ky.) will host the NCAA Division III Championship at E.P. Tom Sawyer State Park in Louisville, Ky., on Nov. 23.
 

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