JOPLIN, MO – Another tremendous season for the University of Mary women's cross country team wrapped up with a 19
th place team finish at the 2023 NCAA Division II Women's Cross Country Championships. This is the 11
th time since 2009 the Marauders have placed in the top 20 at the national championships.
Unranked entering the season and #22 in the final poll before the championship race, the Marauders exceeded national expectations all year. UMary finished with a team score of 511 and had a pair of runners finish in the top 80 of the 34-team 260-runner competition.
"Our women showed up as a team to finish in the top 20!" said UMary Head Coach
Chris Lessard. "We pushed past all initial expectations for this season and ran tough. A lot of people counted us out last year; we proved to them we are here, and here to stay. We bring back almost our entire top seven next year and we are excited for today and the future!"
The Marauders made significant progress during the 6K race at the Tom Rutledge Cross Country Course on the Missouri Southern campus in Joplin, MO. Sitting 29
th after the 1st kilometer and 28
th after 2, the Marauders jumped five slots at the 3K checkpoint before sitting 18
th at the 4K and 5K marks.
Alyssa Becker and
Andrijana Fundak led the way for the Marauders. Racing in her third national championship, Becker placed 66
th overall as she crossed the finish line in a time of 21:09.3. Fundak, in her national championship debut, ran the course in 21:20.7 to place 76
th.
Kristine Kalthoff, who also raced at nationals on the Marauders 2021 team with Becker, completed the race in 21:54.7 and finished 130
th.
Terez Wycklendt and
Elizabeth Acheson rounded out the team scoring for the Marauders. Wycklendt placed 162
nd overall in 22:10.8 and Acheson was 170
th in 22:13.0.
Additionally
Teresa Blote finished 176
th (22:16.0) and
Hannah Westin was 235
th (23:22.4).
Grand Valley State won the team title. Lindsay Cunningham of Winona State was the individual national champion.
The Marauders was third among teams from the Northern Sun and 4
th among NCAA Central Region teams, identical to UMary's placement in both of the championship events from earlier weeks.
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