By Brett Haffner, UWEC Sports Information
COLFAX, WI. (blugolds.com) As the precursor to the NCAA National Meet, the Blugolds were meet hosts at Whitetail Golf Course for the newly-formed North Regional meet, featuring teams throughout Wisconsin and Minnesota. The women's cross country team took a runner-up team finish, placing behind UW-La Crosse. The Eagles scored 50 points, while the Blugolds scored 85 points. The men's cross country team finished in 4th behind UW-Whitewater, UW-La Crosse, and UW-Oshkosh in a 1-2-3-4 WIAC finish in the team standings. The Blugolds scored 139 points for 4th place, while meet champion UW-Whitewater scored 58 points.
Men's Results | Women's Results
The Blugold women had five All-Region performers, with each scoring in the top 35 to earn that designated status. Continuing her reign as the Blugolds' top runner, Carolyn Shult (So. - Augusta, WI/Augusta) brought home a 5th place finish, running 22:21.9 for the 6k distance. As the Blugolds' second runner, Katie Faris (Sr. - Chippewa Falls. WI/Chippewa Falls) finished in 11th, running 22:32.1.
To round out the scoring five, Emma Drangstveit (Sr. - Lakeville, MN/Lakeville North), Naomi Long (Sr. - Medina, MN/Wayzata), and Morgan Dahl (Fr. - Shoreview, MN/Mounds View) finished in 18th, 21st, and 30th places, respectively. All three ladies joined Shult and Faris in earning All-Region honors.
The other two athletes who comprised the Blugolds' starting seven were Christi Forman (Fr. - Waterloo, WI/Waterloo) who finished in 54th, and Kylie Judd (So. - Anchorage, AK/AJ Diamond) who finished in 59th.
On the men's side, there were three Blugolds who earned All-Region honors by placing in the top 35. Connor Dolan (Sr. - Nekoosa, WI/Assumption) and Tyler Osen (So. - Lakeville, MN/Lakeville North) finished in 11th and 12th, respectively, running times of 24:52.9 for Dolan and 24:56.0 for Osen. Brett Haffner (Jr. - Darien, IL/Hinsdale South) also earned All-Region honors by placing 32nd while running a time of 25:11.7.
Mason Shea (Fr. - River Falls, WI/River Falls) and Zach Yengo (Jr. - Eau Claire, WI/Regis) rounded out the top five scoring for the Blugolds, finishing in 37th for Shea and 47th for Yengo. Jackson Witchendahl (Jr. - Alexandria, MN/Alexandria) and Jake Petri (Sr. - Muskego, WI/Muskego) also competed for the Blugold, with Witchendahl placing 51st and Petri placing 69th.
On both teams' overall performances today, Coach Dan Schwamberger said "Today was our best race of the season. I am very proud of the way everyone competed, and it was a lot of fun racing on our home course."
On Sunday, both Blugold squads were selected with at-large bids for the 2021 NCAA Division III Men's & Women's Cross Country National Championships. The meet will be held in Louisville, Kentucky at E.P. "Tom" Sawyer State Park on Saturday, November, 20th. The men's race will begin at 10 AM CST and the women at 11 AM CST.
Follow the Blugolds all season long at Blugold Game Day or on our app, UWEC Blugolds.
