Northern Michigan University’s Ashley Choponis, left, and Emma Sweeney run side by side in the collegiate part of the Wildcat Open cross country meet held on campus in Marquette on Aug. 22. (Photo courtesy of Cara Kamps)

GREEN BAY, Wis. — The Northern Michigan University women’s cross country team almost played David vs. more than one Goliath at the Phoenix Open hosted by Wisconsin-Green Bay on Saturday.

That’s NCAA Division I Wisconsin-Green Bay hosting team from multiple divisions, including Division II NMU.

The Wildcats finished as runner-up in the team standings only to another Division I, though new to the level, St. Thomas of Minnesota.

The Tommies scored 47 points to 54 for the Wildcats as Division III Wisconsin-La Crosse was a distant third with 83 and Michigan Tech fourth with 102.

Junior Madi Szymanski had Northern’s highest finish of fifth place, finishing the six-kilometer (3.7-mile) course in 22 minutes, 14.8 seconds.

That was about 35 seconds after race winner Anelise Egge of Wisconsin-Milwaukee’s time of 21:39.7. After her was MTU’s Sophia Rhein in 21:49.8, St. Thomas’ Olivia Pauly in 22:06.0 and Wisconsin-Stevens Point’s Faith Wehrman in 22:09.7.

Right after Szymanski was freshman teammate Ashley Choponis in seventh place in 22:31.8, while three more Wildcats also broke into the top 20.

Junior Lamar Gordon was 11th in 22:39.5 — she missed the top 10 by a single tenth of a second — senior Sophia Potter 12th in 22:45.0 and senior Emma Sweeney 19th in 23:00.4.

Just missing the top 20 was Northern junior Dani VanLente in 21st in 23:03.3 and senior Beverly Harper 23rd in 23:05.4.

In addition, NMU freshman Maija Maki-Warne, a Marquette Senior High School graduate, was 39th in 23:31.4 and Northern sophomore Ella DeBruyn 42nd in 23:33.2.

Ishpeming product and Wildcats sophomore Lola Korpi was 55th in 23:43.9, sophomore teammate Madalyn Agren 56th in 23:49.5 and another NMU sophomore, Celia Wallace, 69th in 24:06.2.

Also for Northern in the first 100 was sophomore Anya VanSweden, 73rd in 24:09.3, and junior Lana Mac, 85th in 24:21.5.

The NMU contingent also included senior Paige Anderson, 114th in 24:55.4; MSHS graduate and Northern freshman Monet Argeropoulos, 128th in 25:27.8; senior Elliott Smith, 134th in 25:54.4; Marquette freshman and NMU sophomore Abby Harma, 138th in 26:21.7; junior Isabella Beck, 142nd in 26:34.6; Menominee product and Northern junior Attica Brandt, 147th in 27:04.1; sophomore Taryn Maki, 152nd in 27:54.1; and sophomore Hannah Mason, 162nd in 30:05.4.

Up next for the Wildcats is one of the largest meets in the nation, the Roy Griak Invitational hosted by the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis on Friday, Sept. 19.

Story contents based on Northern Michigan University Sports Information press release reviewing the meet. Journal Sports Editor Steve Brownlee’s email address is sbrownlee@miningjournal.net.