Friday, November 1
Urbana-Champaign, IL
10:35 AM
Wisconsin Badgers
at
Big Ten Championships
Badgers take third at Big Ten Championships
November 01, 2024 | Women's Cross Country
Willemse leads Wisconsin at conference championships
CHAMPAIGN, Illinois – Led by Leane Willemse's All-Big Ten performance and strong finishes from Bella Jacobsen and Shea Ruhly, the No. 11 Wisconsin women's cross country team placed third at the 2024 Big Ten Cross Country Championships, solidifying their position among the conference's best teams.
The Badgers had 133 points, one ahead of Penn State who took fourth with 134 points. Oregon won their first Big Ten Conference title with a score of 33 points, while Washington followed with 60 points.
Individually, Willemse continued her standout season, finishing in 15th with a 6K time of 19 minutes, 42.8 seconds to earn second team All-Big Ten honors. Jacobsen and Ruhly stayed close, crossing in 26th and 27th with times of 19:58.5 and 20:01.0, respectively, proving pivotal in securing Wisconsin's podium finish.
The Badgers also saw key contributions from Lindsay Cunningham and Annika Cutforth, who placed 31st and 34th, respectively, to power UW to a third-place showing.
Carolyn Shult, Nora Gremban, and Mya Bunke all delivered solid performances, rounding out Wisconsin's efforts and completing a successful day for the Badgers.
Straight from the Course:
Mick Byrne, UW Director of Track & Field and Cross Country
"Very proud of our women. We beat Penn State by one point…they did a great job. Leane is starting to get her legs back, looked good out there. She had a whole supporting cast with Bella Jacobsen, had a great run, our second scorer. Lindsay Cunningham and Shea Ruhly had a great run, that's as good as we are. Hopefully we can duplicate that at the National Championships, that's a top-10 team all day long."
Up Next: Postseason racing continues with the 2024 NCAA Great Lakes Regional set for Friday, Nov. 15 in Norton, Ohio. The UW women will race at 10 a.m. CT as they look to secure a top-two finish to automatically qualify for the 2024 NCAA Cross Country Championships at the Zimmer Championship Course in Madison.
Big Ten Championships
Nov. 1, 2024
Orange and Blue Golf Course
6K Race
Championship Race Results:
15. Leane Willemse, 19:42.8
26. Bella Jacobsen, 19:58.5
27. Shea Ruhly, 20:01.0
31. Lindsay Cunningham, 20:03.1
34. Annika Cutforth, 20:06.2
46. Carolyn Shult, 20:15.3
55. Nora Gremban, 20:21.0
59. Mya Bunke, 20:25.0
64. Kylie Finger, 20:29.3
83. Olivia Phillips, 20:48.2
91. Fiona McLoughlin, 20:52.5
106. Mikaela Helling, 20:59.2
Team Results:
1. Oregon, 33
2. Washington, 60
3. Wisconsin, 133
4. Penn State, 134
5. Minnesota, 146
6. Michigan State, 173
7. Northwestern, 201
8. Ohio State, 226
9. Michigan, 262
10. Illinois, 277
11. Nebraska, 283
12. UCLA, 351
13. Indiana, 362
14. Purdue, 366
15. Maryland, 368
16. Iowa, 479
17. Rutgers, 520
18. USC, 604
The Badgers had 133 points, one ahead of Penn State who took fourth with 134 points. Oregon won their first Big Ten Conference title with a score of 33 points, while Washington followed with 60 points.
Individually, Willemse continued her standout season, finishing in 15th with a 6K time of 19 minutes, 42.8 seconds to earn second team All-Big Ten honors. Jacobsen and Ruhly stayed close, crossing in 26th and 27th with times of 19:58.5 and 20:01.0, respectively, proving pivotal in securing Wisconsin's podium finish.
The Badgers also saw key contributions from Lindsay Cunningham and Annika Cutforth, who placed 31st and 34th, respectively, to power UW to a third-place showing.
Carolyn Shult, Nora Gremban, and Mya Bunke all delivered solid performances, rounding out Wisconsin's efforts and completing a successful day for the Badgers.
Straight from the Course:
Mick Byrne, UW Director of Track & Field and Cross Country
"Very proud of our women. We beat Penn State by one point…they did a great job. Leane is starting to get her legs back, looked good out there. She had a whole supporting cast with Bella Jacobsen, had a great run, our second scorer. Lindsay Cunningham and Shea Ruhly had a great run, that's as good as we are. Hopefully we can duplicate that at the National Championships, that's a top-10 team all day long."
Up Next: Postseason racing continues with the 2024 NCAA Great Lakes Regional set for Friday, Nov. 15 in Norton, Ohio. The UW women will race at 10 a.m. CT as they look to secure a top-two finish to automatically qualify for the 2024 NCAA Cross Country Championships at the Zimmer Championship Course in Madison.
Big Ten Championships
Nov. 1, 2024
Orange and Blue Golf Course
6K Race
Championship Race Results:
15. Leane Willemse, 19:42.8
26. Bella Jacobsen, 19:58.5
27. Shea Ruhly, 20:01.0
31. Lindsay Cunningham, 20:03.1
34. Annika Cutforth, 20:06.2
46. Carolyn Shult, 20:15.3
55. Nora Gremban, 20:21.0
59. Mya Bunke, 20:25.0
64. Kylie Finger, 20:29.3
83. Olivia Phillips, 20:48.2
91. Fiona McLoughlin, 20:52.5
106. Mikaela Helling, 20:59.2
Team Results:
1. Oregon, 33
2. Washington, 60
3. Wisconsin, 133
4. Penn State, 134
5. Minnesota, 146
6. Michigan State, 173
7. Northwestern, 201
8. Ohio State, 226
9. Michigan, 262
10. Illinois, 277
11. Nebraska, 283
12. UCLA, 351
13. Indiana, 362
14. Purdue, 366
15. Maryland, 368
16. Iowa, 479
17. Rutgers, 520
18. USC, 604
Players Mentioned
/ Women's Cross Country
/ Women's Cross Country
/ Women's Cross Country
/ Women's Cross Country
/ Women's Cross Country
/ Women's Cross Country
/ Women's Cross Country
/ Women's Cross Country
/ Women's Cross Country
/ Women's Cross Country
Shea Ruhly & Bob Liking Press Conference || Wisconsin Cross Country || November 18, 2024
Monday, November 18
Mick Byrne Media Conference || Wisconsin Cross Country || Oct. 9, 2023
Monday, October 09
Mick Byrne Media Conference || Wisconsin Cross Country || Sept. 4, 2023
Monday, September 04
Mick Byrne Media Conference || Wisconsin Cross Country || Nov. 14, 2022
Monday, November 14
