2023 WIAC Men's Cross Country Championship Preview

University of Wisconsin-La Crosse will aim for a sixth straight first-place finish at the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) Men’s Cross Country Championship (presented by Culver’s). The 62nd edition of the conference meet will be hosted by UW-River Falls at Prescott High School in Prescott, Wis., on Oct. 28. The men’s race will begin at noon and be followed by the women’s competition at 1:00 p.m.
 
UW-La Crosse captured the 37th title in program history a year ago with 27 points to surpass UW-Whitewater’s second-place total of 51 points. UW-Stout took third with 96 points, UW-Eau Claire fourth with 100, UW-Oshkosh fifth with 109, UW-Stevens Point sixth with 180, UW-Platteville seventh with 191 and UW-River Falls eighth with 247.
 
UW-Oshkosh ranks second behind UW-La Crosse with 10 titles, while UW-Stevens Point has five, UW-Eau Claire and UW-Platteville each have four and UW-Whitewater two.
 
Four programs are ranked among the finest in NCAA Division III based on Oct. 18 rankings distributed by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association. UW-La Crosse is ranked second, UW-Whitewater fourth, UW-Stout 31st and UW-Stevens Point 35th.
 
UW-La Crosse’s Ethan Gregg is the reigning individual champion after posting a meet record time of 23:38.4 on last year’s 8,000-meter layout. He finished second at the 2021 championship and 10th in 2019.
 
Returning runners that secured All-WIAC recognition at the 2022 championship include: UW-Eau Claire’s Mason Shea (17th); UW-La Crosse’s Isaac Wegner (third), Corey Fairchild (fifth), Aidan Matthai (eighth), Parker Huhn (10th), Grant Matthai (12th), Elias Ritzke (13th), Reed Anderson (18th) and Luke Chaffin (19th); UW-Oshkosh’s Joe Kehoe (14th); and UW-Whitewater’s Christian Patzka (second), Gunner Schlender (fourth), Justin Krause (11th), Dan Anderson (16th) and Nick Hardin (20th).
 
Schlender (third), Patzka (fourth), Wegner (fifth), Huhn (eighth), Krause (13th), Fairchild (16th), and Ritzke (20th) also collected all-conference honors in 2021, and were joined by UW-Stout’s Ian Williams (18th).
 
At the 2019 championship, Krause finished 18th.
 
Additional runners leading their teams this fall include: UW-Platteville’s Zachary Sporaa; UW-River Falls’ Logan Munson; and UW-Stevens Point’s Logan Murphy.
 
The top seven runners in the 8,000-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. 11, and participate in the NCAA Division III North Regional, which will be hosted by UW-Eau Claire at Whitetail Golf Course in Colfax, Wis. Dickinson College (Pa.) will host the NCAA Division III Championship at Big Spring High School in Newville, Pa., on Nov. 18.
 

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