TALLAHASSEE, FLA. -- The Wisconsin women's cross country team wrapped up its season with a 12th-place finish at the NCAA Championships on Saturday morning. The Badgers scored 376 points to mark the 33rd top-20 finish for Wisconsin at a national championship.

NC State won the team title with 84 points while BYU finished second with 122 points. Big Ten Conference champion Minnesota placed seventh with the Badgers finishing second among league teams.

Fifth-year senior Alissa Niggemann led the Badgers the entire race, finishing 68th, covering the 6,000-meter course in 20 minutes, 16.3 seconds. The Amherst, Wisconsin, native moved up eight spots over the last 2,000 meters.

The Badgers continued their outstanding pack running with less than 18 seconds separating the five scorers.

Junior Victoria Heiligenthal placed second among the Badgers and 83rd overall in 20:24.7. She moved up an impressive 18 spots over the last 1,000 meters. Junior Alexa Westley crossed the line in 20:29.5, moving up eight places over the last kilometer to finish 98th overall while senior Lucinda Crouch finished 107th in 20:32.6. Crouch moved up 20 places over the last 1,000 meters.

Graduate student Danielle Orie rounded out the UW scorers, finishing 112th in 20:34.2. Other Badger finishers were junior Samantha Stieve, placing 129th in 20:39.4, moving up 13 places over the last kilometer, and graduate student Stella Gillman, who finished 177th in 20:57.5.

The Badgers had an outstanding 2021 season, placing 10th at the Nuttycombe Invitational, second at the Big Ten Championships, and second at the NCAA Great Lakes Regional with six athletes earning all-region honors.

Straight from the course

Head Coach Mackenzie Wartenberger
"The bravery these women displayed on the course today was electric, and I am very proud of the season they had, and the fearlessness they've shown as a pack. We went for a top-five spot, and while we fell back some over the middle kilometers, the women closed well to finish ahead of 19 of the very best teams in the nation, and ahead of where we were ranked coming into the meet.

"This was bittersweet last competition for our team leader, Alissa Niggemann, who has truly blossomed as a racer this year, and I am thrilled with the gutsy performance Victoria Heiligenthal gave us today to finish second for us at her very first national championship. We ended this season the way we began it -- with one of the closest packs in the NCAA, and I am looking forward to seeing what this team can do in the future."
 

Team Scores
1. NC State	84
2. BYU	122
3. New Mexico	130
4. Colorado	187
5. Notre Dame	215
6. Stanford	233
7. Minnesota	313
8. Arkansas	328
9. Iowa State	332
10. Ole Miss	350
11. Washington	366
12. Wisconsin	376
13. Oklahoma State	404
14. North Carolina	405
15. Alabama	428
16. Michigan State	438
17. Colorado State	455
18. Georgetown	464
19. Florida State	468
20. Utah	483
21. West Virginia	489
22. Michigan	500
23. Northern Arizona	532
24. Oregon	534
25. Harvard	541
26. Providence	594
27. Villanova	605
28. Utah State	638
29. Butler	660
30. Syracuse	768
31. Rice	811

 

Top 10 Individuals
1. Whittni Orton, BYU	19:25.4
2. Mercy Chelangat, Alabama	19:29.3
3. Ceili McCabe, West Virginia	19:29.5
4. Cailie Logue, Iowa State	19:29.8
5. Taylor Roe, Oklahoma State	19:33.5
6. Kelsey Chmiel, NC State	19:34.6
7. Bethany Hasz, Minnesota	19:36.4
8. Abby Nichols, Colorado	19:37.6
9. Maddy Denner, Notre Dame	19:37.7
10. Kayley DeLay, Yale	19:37.7
Wisconsin Finishers
68. Alissa Niggemann	20:16.3
83. Victoria Heiligenthal	20:24.7
98. Alexa Westley	20:29.5
107. Lucinda Crouch	20:32.6
112. Danielle Orie	20:34.2
129. Samantha Stieve	20:39.4
177. Stella Gillman	20:57.5