STILLWATER, Okla. -- The Wisconsin women's cross country team wrapped up its season with a 19th-place finish at the NCAA Championships on Saturday morning.

The Badgers scored 494 points to claim the program's 28th top-20 finish for UW at the NCAA cross country championships in the program's 34th appearance. 

NC State won the team title with 114 points, while New Mexico finished second with 140 points, Alabama rounded out the top three teams with a score of 166 points. The Badgers finished second among Big Ten Conference teams, with Michigan State right behind them while Ohio State placed 15th. 

Redshirt junior Shea Ruhly led the Badgers, finishing 94th, covering the 6,000-meter course in 20 minutes, 34.9 seconds. The Middleton, Wisconsin, native moved up 23 spots over the last 3,000 meters.

Senior Samantha Stieve placed second among the Badgers and 97th overall in 20 minutes, 36.0 seconds. She moved up three spots over the last 1,000 meters. Graduate student Lucinda Crouch crossed the line in 20 minutes 38.3 seconds, moving up four places over the last kilometer to finish 104th overall, while senior Victoria Heiligenthal finished 149th in 20 minutes 56.1 seconds. 

Senior Vivian Hacker  rounded out the UW scorers, finishing 160th in 21 minutes 00.9 seconds, a new personal best for Hacker in a 6K race. Other Badger finishers were senior Alexa Westley placing 171st in 21:05.9, moving up seven places over the last kilometer, and redshirt sophomore Emma Watcke, who finished 217th in 21:32.7.

The Badgers had an outstanding 2022 season, placing 14th at the Nuttycombe Invitational, third at the Big Ten Championships, and fifth at the NCAA Great Lakes Regional, with three athletes earning all-region honors.
 

Straight from the Course 
UW Director of Track and Field and Cross Country Mick Byrne
"It was a really good performance. We were ranked 23rd coming into the meet, it was really great seeing Shea, Sami, and Lucinda really putting it out there right from the start.  At the end of the day , really great way to end the season for our women."

"Any time you come out here and finish in the top 20 at nationals it is a job well done"

Shea Ruhly
"Well, we came in ranked lower than we actually finished today. We ran as a team and that was what we wanted to do and despite how everything played out I think we're happy finishing together."