×

NMU cross country team makes nationals

By Journal Sports Staff

EVANSVILLE, Indiana – The cross country running season will continue for Northern Michigan University when its women’s team qualified for its first NCAA national finals in a decade on Saturday morning.

The Wildcats, ranked eighth in the country, placed fourth among 30 full teams at the NCAA Midwestern Regional in Evansville, Indiana, as each of the five NMU runners who scored cracked the top 50 in the field of 224.

“I’m so proud of this team and each of these student-athletes,” Northern head coach Jenny Ryan said. “They have run consistently well all season, and it’s very exciting for their focus and hard work to pay off.

“They proved that they are a team that deserves to compete at the NCAA National Championship.”

Leading the way was sophomore Kameron Burmeister of Menominee, who was 14th in 21 minutes, 28.776 seconds.

Freshman teammate Sophie McDonald was 20th in 21:38.536 and sophomore Vivian Hett was 27th in 21:50.596.

The other runners who scored for NMU were senior Megan Edic, 40th in 22:12.126, and sophomore Caroline Brisbois, 50th in 22:23.166. Also running for Northern were freshman Hannah Lonergan, 84th, in 23:03.810, and freshman Sarah Goble, 130th in 23:56.430.

No. 1 Grand Valley State won the team title with 45 points, with No. 3 Hillsdale runner-up with 63 and No. 14 Lewis University third with 150. The Wildcats also had 150 points but lost on the tiebreaker for third as Lewis’ sixth runner was 62nd and NMU’s was 84th.

The individual winner was Hillsdale senior Emily Oren in 20:19.476, just over 5 seconds ahead of GVSU freshman Gina Patterson.

The last time the Wildcats had a finish this high at the regionals was 2005, when they were also fourth, while their best finish ever came in 2000, when Northern won the meet.

NMU advances to the NCAA National Championship on Saturday, Nov. 21, in Joplin, Missouri.

Information compiled by Journal Sports Editor Steve Brownlee. His email address is sbrownlee@miningjournal.net.

Newsletter

Today's breaking news and more in your inbox

I'm interested in (please check all that apply)
Are you a paying subscriber to the newspaper *
   

Starting at $4.62/week.

Subscribe Today