One of the major players in the history of the NCAA Division III Women's Cross Country Championship is back as UW-Oshkosh competes at the national spectacle for the 21st time in 24 years and 23rd time overall.

UW-Oshkosh received one of 16 at-large bids to this year's meet that will be held Saturday (Nov. 21) at the Highland Park Golf Course in Highland Hills, Ohio.

UW-Oshkosh's success at the meet in unprecedented. The Titans captured national titles in 1987, 1988, 1991 and 1996, while finishing second in the country in 1989, 1990 and 1995 and third in 1986, 1994 and 1998. UW-Oshkosh placed 18th at last year's championship with 405 points.

UW-Oshkosh earned its invitation to this year's NCAA Division III Championship by finishing fourth at the Midwest Regional held last Saturday (Nov. 14) at the Lake Breeze Golf Club in Winneconne.

The Midwest Regional will be represented by four teams at the NCAA Division III Championship. UW-Eau Claire and Washington University (Mo.) earned automatic bids to the meet while UW-La Crosse and UW-Oshkosh received at-large selections. UW-Eau Claire is ranked second in the NCAA Division III by the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association, Washington University (Mo.) seventh, UW-La Crosse 10th and UW-Oshkosh 18th. Middlebury College (Vt.) is the defending national champion.

UW-Oshkosh's Ayla Mitchell (Sr. • New Richmond) is expected to contend for this year's individual national title. She finished third in the country last year and 13th in 2007. Other Titans expected to run on Saturday are Mallory Burk (Jr. • Athens), Allison Gehl (Jr. • Sherwood)Brittany Haas (Jr. • St. Charles, Ill.), McKenzie Kelly (Fr. • New Richmond), Cassie Petersen (Jr. • Marinette) and Jennifer Piskor (Jr. • Eagan, Minn.).

In all, 32 seven-person teams and 56 individuals will compete at this year's championship. The 6,000-meter race is scheduled to begin at 11 a.m. (ET).

The United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association has named UW-Oshkosh's Ayla Mitchell (Sr. • New Richmond) as its NCAA Division III Women's Cross Country Midwest Region Athlete of the Year for the second consecutive season.

Mitchell was one of eight award winners, with the others being Wendy Pavlus of St. Lawrence University (N.Y.) in the Atlantic Region, Marie Borner of Bethel University (Minn.) in the Central Region, Katie Navarre of Denison University (Ohio) in the Great Lakes Region, Jenn Cronin of Lebanon Valley College (Pa.) in the Mideast Region, Jacqui Wentz of Massachusetts Institute of Technology in the New England Region, Caitlin Masse of Trinity University (Texas) in the South/Southeast Region and Alicia Freese of Pomona-Pitzer Colleges (Calif.) in the West Region. Pavlus and Borner were also honored for the second straight year.

Mitchell is unbeaten in her last four races, including runs at the WIAC Championship held Oct. 31 and the NCAA Division III Midwest Regional held Nov. 14. She also won the Notre Dame Invitational on Oct. 2 and the UW-Oshkosh Invitational on Oct. 17. Mitchell finished second at the Carroll University Invitational held Sept. 12 and the Roy Griak Invitational held Sept. 26.

Last year, Mitchell finished third at the NCAA Division III Championship to earn All-America honors. She took first place at the Carroll University Invitational, Calvin College Invitational, Notre Dame Invitational and NCAA Division III Midwest Regional.

Mitchell captured All-America honors with a 13th-place finish at the 2007 NCAA Division III Championship.

Mitchell, who transferred to UW-Oshkosh after one season at the University of Minnesota, competes at the NCAA Division III Championship on Saturday (Nov. 21) in Highland Hills, Ohio.

UW-Oshkosh's Ayla Mitchell (Sr. • New Richmond) coasted to the finish line as she successfully defended her individual title at the NCAA Division III Women's Cross Country Midwest Regional held Nov.14 at the Lake Breeze Golf Club in Winneconne.

Mitchell, who also placed second at the NCAA Division III Midwest Regional in 2007, won this year's edition of the 6,000-meter race with a time of 20:51.

Taryn Surtees of Washington University (Mo.) finished second with a time of 21:06, while Jenny Scherer of St. Norbert College placed third in 21:31, Stephanie Perleber of UW-La Crosse fourth in 21:35 and Megan O'Grady of Carroll University fifth in 21:37.

Mitchell is unbeaten in her last four races, with previous victories coming at the WIAC Championship, UW-Oshkosh Invitational and Notre Dame Invitational. She finished second at the Carroll University Invitational and Roy Griak Invitational.

UW-Oshkosh, ranked 15th in the NCAA Division III by the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association, finished fourth in the team standings with 139 points. The listing is expected to earn the Titans an at-large berth to next Saturday's (Nov. 21) NCAA Division III Championship in Highland Hills, Ohio. Team and individual selections to the national meet will be announced on Sunday (Nov. 15).

Third-ranked UW-Eau Claire tallied 52 points to win the NCAA Division III Midwest Regional for the second straight year. Eighth-ranked Washington University followed in second place with 72 points and 11th-ranked UW-La Crosse in third with 98.

After UW-Oshkosh in the team standings were fifth-place North Central College (Ill.) with 208 points, sixth-place University of Chicago (Ill.) with 237, seventh-place Wheaton College (Ill.) with 251, eighth-place Illinois Wesleyan University with 263, ninth-place UW-Platteville with 272 and 10th-place UW-Stevens Point with 278. A total of 39 teams competed at this year's regional.

UW-Oshkosh's team score was built on the performances of Mitchell, Jennifer Piskor (Jr. • Eagan, Minn.), McKenzie Kelly (Fr. • New Richmond), Cassie Petersen (Jr. • Marinette) and Mallory Burk (Jr. • Athens). Piskor finished 23rd among the meet's 273 runners with a time of 22:26, while Kelly placed 25th in 22:31, Petersen 41st in 22:54 and Burk 49th in 23:03.

Other UW-Oshkosh participants at the meet were Brittany Haas (Jr. • St. Charles, Ill.) and Allison Gehl (Jr. • Sherwood). Haas finished 72nd with a time of 23:28 and Gehl 82nd in 23:37.

UW-Eau Claire had three runners listed in the sixth through 10th places as Beth Easker finished sixth in 21:41, Alyssa Sybilrud eighth in 21:42 and Margaret Ho 10th in 21:46. Elizabeth Phillips of Washington University placed seventh in 21:41 and Kerry Devitt of Illinois Wesleyan University ninth in 21:45.

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.

The WIAC has named UW-Oshkosh's Ayla Mitchell (Sr. • New Richmond) as its 2009 Judy Kruckman Scholar-Athlete of the Year in the sport of women's cross country.

Mitchell captured the individual title as UW-Oshkosh finished third at the WIAC Women's Cross Country Championship held Oct. 31 in Whitewater. 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).

Mitchell, who placed third in 2008 and 13th in 2007 at the NCAA Division III Women's Cross Country Championship, was named the 2008 NCAA Division III Midwest Region Cross Country Athlete of the Year by the U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA).

Mitchell owns a 3.90 cumulative grade point average as an elementary education major. She was named to the 2009 CoSIDA (College Sports Information Directors of America)/ESPN The Magazine Academic All-America Women’s Cross Country/Track and Field Third Team and is a two-time member of the USTFCCCA's All-Academic Team. Mitchell has been named to UW-Oshkosh's Dean's List several semesters and the WIAC Scholastic Honor Roll twice since transferring from the University of Minnesota after her freshman year. She also has volunteered in area elementary schools and assisted with numerous community distance running events.

Mitchell becomes the ninth person in UW-Oshkosh history to receive the WIAC's Judy Kruckman Scholar-Athlete of the Year Award in the sport of women's cross country. Previous UW-Oshkosh winners were Joan Handziak (1982), Niederberger (1988), Marina Colby (1989), Melissa Langlois (1991), Nicole Iverson (1996), (Speckman) Ebensperger (1997), Sara Holewinski (2001) and Woodworth (2004).

Also nominated for this year’s award were Hannah Humbach of UW-Eau Claire, Zoe Browne, Alison Kolinski, Kayla La Porte, Whitney Nefstead and Katelynn Williams of UW-La Crosse, Jordan Clark-Mand (Jr. • Waupun) of UW-Oshkosh, Leah Korf of UW-River Falls, Allison Wolter of UW-Stevens Point and Katie McCabe, Jaclyn Nett, Andrea Newman and Jennifer Taylor of UW-Whitewater.

UW-Whitewater will serve as the host for the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) Men's and Women's Cross Country Championships at its campus course on Saturday (Oct. 31). This year’s spectacle will represent the 49th running of the men’s meet and 32nd edition of the women’s event.

In the men’s race, UW-Stevens Point will seek back-to-back league titles for the first time since 1996-97. The Pointers achieved a first-place finish a year ago with 52 team points to nip UW-Oshkosh’s second-place total of 55 points. UW-La Crosse placed third with 62, UW-Eau Claire fourth with 117, UW-Whitewater fifth with 127, UW-River Falls sixth with 172, UW-Platteville seventh with 174, UW-Stout eighth with 180 and UW-Superior ninth with 295.

The three-point victory was the slimmest margin at the championship since UW-La Crosse outscored the Titans 34-37 at 2001 event. UW-La Crosse owns a league-best 29 first-place trophies, while UW-Oshkosh has secured nine.

Six teams are ranked among the finest in the NCAA Division III based on the Oct. 21 rankings conducted by the U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA). UW-La Crosse ranks third to lead all WIAC mentions, while UW-Stevens Point lists fifth, UW-Platteville 11th, UW-Oshkosh 18th, UW-Whitewater 25th and UW-Eau Claire 30th.

Runners expected to compete for a top-14 finish in this year’s 8,000-meter race are: UW-Eau Claire seniors Brent Kann and Chris Wirtz, UW-La Crosse freshman Zach Wilhelmy and seniors Connor Lonning, Paul Moran and Dallas Vincent, UW-Oshkosh sophomore Nate Stymiest (Oconto Falls) and senior Josh Hoff (Boyceville), UW-Platteville juniors Jason Garvens and Nate Petesch, UW-River Falls senior Chad Ernst, UW-Stevens Point senior Brandon Dworak, junior Joel Heroux and sophomore Terry Witkowski, UW-Stout junior Peter Johnston, UW-Superior freshman Scott Behling and UW-Whitewater sophomore Aron Kehoe and junior Dan Machmueller.

In the women’s race, UW-Eau Claire will aim for a third consecutive crown. If successful, the Blugolds would become the first team to garner three straight first-place finishes since UW-Oshkosh won 15 consecutive titles from 1986-2000.

A year ago, UW-Eau Claire totaled 42 team points to outdistance UW-Oshkosh’s second-place sum of 62. UW-La Crosse placed third with 65, UW-Stevens Point fourth with 112, UW-Platteville fifth with 159, UW-River Falls sixth with 173, UW-Whitewater seventh with 178, UW-Stout eighth with 220 and UW-Superior ninth with 249.

Three squads are ranked in the USTFCCCA women’s poll led by UW-Eau Claire’s fourth-place showing. UW-La Crosse is 12th, while UW-Oshkosh is tied for 14th.

UW-Oshkosh senior Ayla Mitchell (New Richmond) claimed the WIAC individual title in 2007 and will attempt to become the sixth two-time champion in league archives. Also expected to compete for a top-14 finish in this year’s 6,000-meter race are: UW-Eau Claire sophomore Alyssa Sybilrud, juniors Beth Easker, Margaret Ho and Elly Prunty and senior Hannah Humbach, UW-La Crosse seniors Zoe Brown, Stephanie Perleberg and Katelynn Williams, UW-Oshkosh freshman McKenzie Kelly (New Richmond) and junior Jennifer Piskor (Eagan, Minn.), UW-Platteville junior Alli Tank, UW-River Falls senior Leah Korf, UW-Stevens Point sophomore Claire Roberts, UW-Stout sophomore Alexa Ahler, UW-Superior senior Jenna Halverson and UW-Whitewater senior Katie McCabe.

The top seven runners in each race will receive All-WIAC first team recognition, while runners placing eighth through 14th earn All-WIAC second team accolades. Individuals finishing 15th through 20th claim honorable mention recognition.

All nine WIAC teams will return to action on Nov. 14 and participate in the NCAA Division III Midwest Regional at the Lake Breeze Golf Club in Winneconne. The regional event will be hosted by UW-Oshkosh. The NCAA Division III Championship is scheduled for Nov. 21 in Highland Hills, Ohio, and will be hosted by Baldwin-Wallace College (Ohio).

UW-Oshkosh's Ayla Mitchell (Sr. • New Richmond) earned her sixth WIAC Women's Cross Country Runner of the Week award after winning the Brooks Invitational held Oct. 17 at the Lake Breeze Golf Club in Winneconne.

Mitchell defeated defending NCAA Division III champion Marie Borner of Bethel University (Minn.) for the individual title as UW-Oshkosh finished fifth in the team standings.

Mitchell, who placed third at last year's NCAA Division III Championship, won this year's Brooks Invitational title with a 6,000-meter time of 20:28. Borner finished right behind Mitchell with a second-place time of 20:35. Last year, Borner finished first and Mitchell third at the Brooks Invitational with times of 20:36 and 20:42, respectively. A total of 466 runners finished this year's race.

Calvin College (Mich.), the top-ranked team in the NCAA Division III by the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association, scored 80 points to successfully defend its Brooks Invitational title. 10th-ranked Washington University (Mo.) finished second among the 34 teams with 93 points, while NCAA Division II University of Minnesota-Duluth placed third with 98, 25th-ranked DePauw University fourth with 140 and 12th-ranked UW-Oshkosh fifth with 182.

Connor Lonning of UW-La Crosse was named the WIAC Men's Cross Country Runner of the Week.

Ayla Mitchell (Sr. • New Richmond) defeated defending NCAA Division III champion Marie Borner of Bethel University (Minn.) for the individual title as the UW-Oshkosh women's cross country team finished fifth at the Brooks Invitational held Saturday (Oct. 17) at the Lake Breeze Golf Cub in Winneconne.

Mitchell, who placed third at last year's NCAA Division III Championship, won this year's 6,000-meter race at the Brooks Invitational with a time of 20:28. Borner finished right behind Mitchell in the individual listings with time of 20:35. Last year, Borner finished first and Mitchell third at the Brooks Invitational with times of 20:36 and 20:42, respectively.

A total of 466 runners completed this year's course, with Morgan Place of the University of Minnesota-Duluth finishing third in 20:45, Megan O'Grady of Carroll University fourth in 20:58 and Lauren Reich of DePauw University (Ind.) fifth in 21:01.

Calvin College (Mich.), the top-ranked team in the NCAA Division III by the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association, scored 80 points to successfully defend its Brooks Invitational title. 10th-ranked Washington University (Mo.) finished second among the 34 teams with 93 points, while NCAA Division II University of Minnesota-Duluth placed third with 98, 25th-ranked DePauw University fourth with 140 and 12th-ranked UW-Oshkosh fifth with 182.

Rounding out the top 10 teams were sixth-place and 11th-ranked Bethel University with 186 points, seventh-place Hope College (Mich.) with 188, eighth-place University of Chicago (Ill.) with 211, ninth-place North Central College (Ill.) with 283 and 10th-place UW-Stevens Point with 292.

Jennifer Piskor (Jr. • Eagan, Minn.) was the second UW-Oshkosh runner to cross the finish line. Piskor placed 46th with a time of 22:36, while McKenzie Kelly (Fr. • New Richmond) finished 48th in 22:41, Cassie Petersen (Jr. • Marinette) 54th in 22:48, Mallory Burk (Jr. • Athens) 66th in 22:54 and Allison Gehl (Jr. • Sherwood) 81st in 23:04.

The Titans also had Jordan Clark-Mand (Jr. • Waupun) finish 101st in 23:19, Samantha Helgesen (So. • Bristol) 116th in 23:33, Brittany Haas (Jr. • St. Charles, Ill.) 148th in 23:55, Kelsey Sweeney (Fr. • Verona) 177th in 24:13, Janelle Brooks (So. • Janesville) 202nd in 24:29, Shannon Madigan (Sr. • Green Bay) 229th in 24:48, Megan Tyjeski (So. • Wisconsin Rapids) 244th in 24:57, Lauren Pinzl (Fr. • Mercer) 270th in 25:20, Kristin Stockheimer (Fr. • West Salem) 280th in 25:27, Kathryn Magnor (So. • Brookfield) 337th in 26:20, Carlyn Brown (So. • Belleville) 350th in 26:34 and Leah Rebne (Fr. • Park Falls) 387th in 27:21.

UW-Oshkosh will host a non-scoring meet on Friday (Oct. 23) at the Lake Breeze Golf Club in Winneconne.

The top-ranked men’s team and the number-one women’s squad in the NCAA Division III will be in the field at Winneconne's Lake Breeze Golf Course on Saturday (Oct. 17) as UW-Oshkosh hosts the largest cross country event in school history.

Nearly 1,000 runners from more than 35 colleges and universities are expected to compete in this year’s UW-Oshkosh Brooks Invitational.

The women lead off the spectacle with a 6,000-meter run at 10:30 a.m. The men close the meet with an 8,000-meter race at 11:15 a.m.

The women's division features six NCAA Division III teams ranked nationally by the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association, including number-one Calvin College (Mich.). Looking to defeat the Knights are 10th-ranked Washington University (Mo.), 11th-ranked Bethel University (Minn.), 12th-ranked UW-Oshkosh, 25th-ranked DePauw University (Ind.) and 28th-ranked University of Chicago (Ill.).

Defending national champion Marie Borner of Bethel University is one elite contestant gunning for the women’s title. Joining her in the race are UW-Oshkosh’s Ayla Mitchell (Sr. • New Richmond), Carroll University’s Megan O’Grady and University of Minnesota-Duluth’s Morgan Place. Mitchell finished third at the 2008 NCAA Division III Championship, while Place took fifth.

Calvin College took home the women’s team title last year, amassing 59 points. UW-Oshkosh finished second in the 30-team meet with 123 points, while the University of Minnesota-Duluth placed third with 129, Washington University fourth with 152 and Bethel University fifth with 175.

Top-ranked North Central College (Ill.) leads the list of seven men’s squads ranked in the top 30 of the NCAA Division III. Others expected to challenge for first place are sixth-ranked UW Stevens Point, ninth-ranked Augustana College (Ill.), 15th-ranked UW-Oshkosh, 16th-ranked Calvin College, 29th-ranked Grinnell College (Iowa) and 30th-ranked UW-Whitewater.

Projected to compete for the men's individual title are Mike Spain, Kyle Brady and Nate Hird of North Central College, Dan Greeno of Bethel University and Joel Heroux of UW-Stevens Point. Spain placed 12th at last year’s NCAA Division III Championship, while Hird finished 32nd, Greeno 33rd, Brady 41st and Heroux 64th.

North Central College was victorious in the 2008 edition of the Books Invitational with 68 points. UW-Stevens Point finished second in the 32-team event with 73 points, Calvin College third with 104, UW-Oshkosh fourth with 158 and Augustana College fifth with 183.

Admission to the meet is $5 per automobile. Spectators are encouraged to arrive early for the meet.

UW-Oshkosh's Ayla Mitchell (Sr. • New Richmond) was named the WIAC Women's Cross Country Runner of the Week after finishing first among 162 runners in the Gold Division of the Notre Dame Invitational held Oct. 2 in South Bend, Ind. Mitchell, a five-time WIAC Runner of the Week selection, was cited for her performance in events held Sept. 28-Oct. 4.

Mitchell, who completed the 5,000-meter course in a winning time of 17:31, helped UW-Oshkosh finish seventh in the 20-team event with 190 points. The Gold Division featured a mix of participants from NCAA Division I, II and III schools.

Mitchell, who won last year's race with a time of 17:28, defeated Megan Maceratini of Grand Valley State University (Mich.) by nine seconds for this year's championship. Maceratini finished second with a time of 17:40.

Grand Valley State University, ranked second in the NCAA Division II by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association, captured the team title with 48 points. The University of Dayton finished second with 104 points, while Calvin College (Mich.) placed third with 119. Calvin College entered the meet ranked first in the NCAA Division III and UW-Oshkosh eighth.

Joel Heroux of UW-Stevens Point was named the WIAC Men's Cross Country Runner of the Week.

UW-Oshkosh's Ayla Mitchell (Sr. • New Richmond) ran another outstanding race as she successfully defended her individual title at the Notre Dame Women's Cross Country Invitational held Friday (Oct. 2) in South Bend, Ind.

Mitchell, who completed the 5,000-meter course in a winning time of 17:31, helped UW-Oshkosh finish seventh in the Gold Division of the 20-team event with 190 points. The Gold Division featured a mix of participants from NCAA Division I, II and III schools.

Mitchell, who won last year's race with a time of 17:28, defeated Megan Maceratini of Grand Valley State University (Mich.) by nine seconds for this year's championship. Maceratini finished second with a time of 17:40, while Ali Bishel of Ball State University (Ind.) placed third in 17:44, Maura Bulgrin of the University of Dayton (Ohio) fourth in 17:48 and Roxanne Sellick of Fresno State University (Calif.) fifth in 17:54.

Grand Valley State University, ranked second in the NCAA Division II by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association, captured the team title with 48 points. The University of Dayton finished second with 104 points, while Calvin College (Mich.) placed third with 119, Eastern Michigan University fourth with 119, Southern Illinois University fifth with 164 and Indiana State University sixth with 171. Calvin College entered the meet ranked first in the NCAA Division III and UW-Oshkosh eighth.

In addition to Mitchell, UW-Oshkosh received team scoring from McKenzie Kelly (Fr. • New Richmond), Allison Gehl (Jr. • Sherwood), Jordan Clark-Mand (Jr. • Waupun) and Jennifer Piskor (Jr. • Eagan, Minn.). Kelly finished 45th among the 162 runners with a time of 18:57, while Gehl placed 46th in 18:57, Clark-Mand 47th in 18:59 and Piskor 56th in 19:09.

The Titans also had Cassie Petersen (Jr. • Marinette) finish 75th in 19:22, Mallory Burk (Jr. • Athens) 77th in 19:24 and Samantha Helgesen (So. • Bristol) 121st in 20:02.

UW-Oshkosh is off until it hosts the Brooks Invitational on Oct. 17 at the Lake Breeze Golf Club in Winneconne.

Without eight runners who were competing at the Notre Dame Invitational earlier in the day, the UW-Oshkosh women's cross country team still had enough weapons to finish fourth at the Carthage College Invitational held Friday (Oct. 2) in Somers.

Wheaton College (Ill.) owned six of the top 11 individual finishers and coasted to the team title with 34 points. Carthage College placed second in the seven-team meet with 56 points, while St. Norbert College finished third with 75, UW-Oshkosh fourth with 91 and Edgewood College fifth with 127. UW-Oshkosh entered the meet as the eighth-ranked team in the NCAA Division III by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association.

Led by Brittany Haas (Jr. • St. Charles, Ill.), UW-Oshkosh placed all five of its scorers among the top 6 finishers. Haas completed the 6,000-meter course with a 17th-place time of 24:44, while Janelle Brooks (So. • Janesville) finished 19th in 24:52, Megan Tyjeski (So. • Wisconsin Rapids) 20th in 24:53, Kelsey Sweeney (Fr. • Verona) 25th in 25:07 and Shannon Madigan (Sr. • Green Bay) 26th in 25:09.

The Titans also had Kathryn Magnor (So. • Brookfield) finish 45th in 26:09, Lauren Pinzl (Fr. • Mercer) 46th in 26:12, Kristin Stockheimer (Fr. • West Salem) 47th in 26:18, Carlyn Brown (So. • Belleville) 65th in 27:03 and Leah Rebne (Fr. • Park Falls) 80th in 28:09.

Jenny Scherer of St. Norbert College took individual honors with a first-place time of 22:38. Morgan Wiechman of Carthage College finished second among the 98 runners in 23:13, while Amanda Whipple of St. Norbert College placed third in 23:35 and Sarah Beasley of Wheaton College fourth in 23:43.

UW-Oshkosh is off until it hosts the Brooks Invitational on Oct. 17 at the Lake Breeze Golf Club in Winneconne.

A strong performance at the Roy Griak Invitational earned UW-Oshkosh's Jennifer Piskor (Jr. • Eagan, Minn.) the WIAC Women's Cross Country Runner of the Week award for events held Sept. 21-27.

Piskor, competing in a meet that featured participants from seven WIAC schools, finished as the league's second runner at the Roy Griak Invitational held Sept. 26 in Minneapolis, Minn. Piskor ran to a career best as she placed seventh out of 497 participants in the 6,000-meter race with a time of 23:00.

Piskor's effort helped UW-Oshkosh finish second in the 37-team meet with 112 points. UW-La Crosse took the team title with 98 points, while UW-Eau Claire finished third with 117 and Bethel University (Minn.) fourth with 136.

Defending NCAA Division III champion Marie Borner of Bethel University captured the individual title with a time of 21:26. Ayla Mitchell (Sr. • New Richmond) of UW-Oshkosh finished second with a time of 21:49 and Simone Childs-Walker of Carleton College (Minn.) third in 22:15.

Zach Wilhelmy of UW-La Crosse was named the WIAC Men's Cross Country Runner of the Week.

Ayla Mitchell (Sr. • New Richmond) and Jennifer Piskor (Jr. • Egan, Minn.) finished among the top seven runners as the UW-Oshkosh women's cross country team placed second at the Roy Griak Invitational held Saturday (Sept. 23) in Minneapolis, Minn.

UW-Oshkosh, ranked 16th in the NCAA Division III by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association, scored 112 points for its second-place finish. UW-La Crosse, ranked ninth in the NCAA Division III, won the 37-team meet with 98 points.

Rounding out the top five teams were third-place UW-Eau Claire with 117 points, fourth-place Bethel University (Minn.) with 136 and fifth-place Wartburg College (Iowa) fifth with 154. UW-Eau Claire entered the meet ranked 12th in the NCAA Division III, Bethel University 1oth and Wartburg College fifth.

Mitchell had a stellar showing for UW-Oshkosh as she finished second in the 6,000-meter race with a time of 21:49. Defending NCAA Division III champion Marie Borner of Bethel University captured the individual title with a time of 21:26, while Simone Childs-Walker of Carleton College (Minn.) placed third in 22:15, Anna Kraayenbrink of Wartburg College fourth in 22:30 and Linda Keller of the University of Minnesota-Morris fifth in 22:45.

Piskor added valuable team points for the Titans as she ran to a seventh-place time of 23:00. Her performance was a personal best. Other scorers for UW-Oshkosh were Allison Gehl (Jr. • Sherwood), McKenzie Kelly (Fr. • New Richmond) and Cassie Petersen (Jr. • Marinette). Gehl placed 28th with a time of 23:43, while Kelly finished 37th and Petersen 38th with times of 23:55 and 23:56, respectively.

UW-Oshkosh also had Mallory Burk (Jr. • Athens) finish 67th in 24:25, Samantha Helgesen (So. • Bristol) 68th in 24:26, Jordan Clark-Mand (Jr. • Waupun) 104th in 24:50, Brittany Haas (Jr. • St. Charles, Ill.) 133rd in 25:16, Janelle Brooks (So. • Janesville) 153rd in 25:27, Kelsey Sweeney (Fr. • Verona) 185th in 25:59, Megan Tyjeski (So. • Wisconsin Rapids) 188th in 26:01 and Shannon Madigan (Sr. • Green Bay) 216th in 26:21.

The meet featured 497 runners, with 488 completing the course.

UW-Oshkosh is involved in two meets on Friday (Oct. 3), the Notre Dame Invitational in South Bend, Ind., and the Carthage College Invitational in Kenosha.

UW-Oshkosh rested six of its top eight runners and still managed to finish fifth at the UW-Whitewater Women's Cross Country Invitational held Saturday (Sept. 19) in Whitewater.

UW-La Crosse, ranked seventh in the NCAA Division III by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association, won the 10-team meet with 24 points. The Eagles coasted to the team title as UW-Platteville finished second with 51 points, UW-Whitewater third with 92, Carroll University fourth with 108 and UW-Oshkosh fifth with 136. UW-Oshkosh entered the meet ranked 15th in the NCAA Division III.

The first UW-Oshkosh runner to cross the finish line in the 6,000-meter race was Mallory Burk (Jr. • Athens). Burk placed 11th with a time of 24:20, while teammates Samantha Helgesen (So. • Bristol) finished 36th in 25:25, Megan Tyjeski (So. • Wisconsin Rapids) 41st in 25:42, Jordan Clark-Mand (Jr. • Waupun) 49th in 26:00 and Kelsey Sweeney (Fr. • Verona) 53rd in 26:09.

UW-Oshkosh also had Shannon Madigan (Sr. • Green Bay) finish 66th in 26:50, Kristin Stockheimer (Fr. • West Salem) 74th in 27:24, Kathryn Magnor (So. • Brookfield) 77th in 27:29, Heather Bassett (Jr. • Minocqua) 79th in 27:35, Lauren Pinzl (Fr. • Mercer) 85th in 27:46, Carlyn Brown (So. • Belleville) 86th in 27:52 and Leah Rebne (Fr. • Park Falls) 110th in 29:14.

Megan O'Grady of Carroll University finished first among the 138 runners with a time of 22:09. UW-La Crosse owned three of the next finishers as Stephanie Perleberg placed second, Katelynn Williams third and Alison Kolinski fifth with times of 22:32, 23:12 and 23:42, respectively. Ann Tank of UW-Platteville finished fourth with a time of 23:38.

Next Saturday (Sept. 26), UW-Oshkosh competes at the Roy Griak Invitational in Minneapolis, Minn.

UW-Oshkosh's opening performance of the 2009 season was a dominating one as the Titans easily captured the team title at the Carroll University Women's Cross Country Invitational held Saturday (Sept. 12) in Waukesha.

UW-Oshkosh, ranked 15th in the NCAA Division III by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association, won the nine-team meet with 27 points. Carroll University finished second with 50 points, Illinois Institute of Technology third with 64, Beloit College fourth with 119 and Lake Forest College (Ill.) fifth with 142.

UW-Oshkosh owned eight of the top 13 runners in the 5,000-meter race, including Ayla Mitchell (Sr. • New Richmond) who finished second with a time of 18:11. Megan O'Grady of Carroll University captured the individual title with a time of 17:50, while Stephanie Lucas of Illinois Institute of Technology placed third in 19:29.

In addition to Mitchell, UW-Oshkosh also received scoring positions from Jennifer Piskor (Jr. • Eagan, Minn.), Cassie Petersen (Jr. • Marinette), McKenzie Kelly (Fr. • New Richmond) and Allison Gehl (Jr. • Sherwood). Piskor finished fourth with a time of 19:30, while Petersen place fifth in 19:53, Kelly seventh in 20:10 and Gehl ninth in 20:17.

Other Titans cracking the top 20 were Samantha Helgesen (So. • Bristol), Brittany Haas (Jr. • St. Charles, Ill.), Mallory Burk (Jr. • Athens) and Janelle Brooks (So. • Janesville). Helgesen finished 11th in 20:33, Haas 12th in 20:42, Burk 13th in 20:43 and Brooks 18th in 20:53.

UW-Oshkosh also had Jordan Clark-Mand (Jr. • Waupun) finish 26th in 21:14, Kelsey Sweeney (Fr. • Verona) 28th in 21:26, Megan Tyjeski (So. • Wisconsin Rapids) 29th in 21:47, Heather Bassett (Jr. • Minocqua) 32nd in 21:52, Shannon Madigan (Sr. • Green Bay) 33rd in 22:02, Kathryn Magnor (So. • Brookfield) 39th in 22:34, Alexandra DeBaker (Fr. • Green Bay) 45th in 22:52, Kristin Stockheimer (Fr. • West Salem) 46th in 22:54, Carlyn Brown (So. • Belleville) 50th in 23:07 and Lauren Pinzl (Fr. • Mercer) 69th in 24:22.

A total of 109 runners finished the race.

UW-Oshkosh returns to action by competing at next Saturday's (Sept. 19) UW-Whitewater Invitational.