Mitchell Leads Titans To Third-Place Finish At WIAC Championship
Ayla Mitchell (Sr. • New Richmond) won the individual title
for the second time in three years as the UW-Oshkosh women's cross
country team finished third at the WIAC Championship held Saturday
(Oct. 31) in Whitewater.
Mitchell ran away from this year's group of participants and
coasted to the finish line with a 6,000-meter time of 22:00. She
also finished first at the meet in 2007 and second in 2008.
With her latest victory, Mitchell becomes the fifth UW-Oshkosh
runner to claim multiple WIAC titles. She joins three-time champion
Tiffany (Speckman) Ebensperger (1994, 1996-97) and two-time winners
Laura Horejs (1990-91), Cheryl Niederberger (1987-88) and Liz
Woodworth (2003-04).
UW-Eau Claire owned six of the top 10 runners in this year's race
as Alyssa Sybilrud placed second in 22:18, Hannah Humbach third in
22:21, Beth Easker seventh in 22:43, Margaret Ho eighth in 22:51,
Elly Prunty ninth in 22:53 and Kacey Rindy 10th in 23:18.
UW-La Crosse had two runners crack the top 10 as Stephanie
Perleber placed fourth in 22:25 and Katelyn Williams fifth in
22:28. Claire Roberts of UW-Stevens Point finished sixth in
22:40.
UW-Eau Claire scored 29 points to capture its third straight WIAC
title and fifth overall. UW-La Crosse finished second in the
eight-team meet with 57 points, UW-Oshkosh third with 71,
UW-Stevens Point fourth with 111, UW-Platteville fifth with 151,
UW-Whitewater sixth with 161, UW-River Falls seventh with 201 and
UW-Stout eighth with 213. UW-Eau Claire entered the meet ranked
fourth in the NCAA Division III by the United States Track &
Field and Cross Country Coaches Association, UW-La Crosse 12th and
UW-Oshkosh 14th.
In addition to Mitchell, UW-Oshkosh received team scoring from
McKenzie Kelly (Fr. • New Richmond), Jennifer Piskor (Jr.
• Eagan, Minn.), Cassie Petersen (Jr. • Marinette) and
Mallory Burk (Jr. • Athens). Kelly finished 11th with a time
of 23:20, while Piskor placed 17th in 23;36, Petersen 22nd in 23:51
and Burk 23rd in 23:53. Kelly was the meet's first freshman to
cross the finish line.
Other UW-Oshkosh results featured Allison Gehl (Jr. •
Sherwood) placing 33rd in 24:13, Brittany Haas (Jr. • St.
Charles, Ill.) 35th in 24:20, Jordan Clark-Mand (Jr. • Waupun)
38th in 24:23, Janelle Brooks (So • Janesville) 53rd in 25:05,
Samantha Helgesen (So. • Bristol) 58th in 25:10, Shannon
Madigan (Sr. • Green Bay) 59th in 25:11 and Kelsey Sweeney
(Fr. • Verona) 72nd in 25:52. A total of 100 runners finished
the race.
The WIAC named UW-Oshkosh's Mitchell as the winner of its Judy
Kruckman Scholar-Athlete Award.
The league also selected Kelly Palmer of UW-Eau Claire, Kayla La
Porte of UW-La Crosse, Madigan of UW-Oshkosh, Alli Tank of
UW-Platteville, Carly Eggert of UW-River Falls, Sandy Hause of
UW-Stevens Point, Emily Stenzel of UW-Stout, Jenna Halverson of
UW-Superior and Katie Wagner of UW-Whitewater to its
All-Sportsmanship Team.
UW-Oshkosh returns to action on Nov. 14 when it hosts the NCAA
Division III Midwest Regional at the Lake Breeze Golf Club in
Winneconne. The NCAA Division III Championship is scheduled for
Nov. 21 in Highland Hills, Ohio.