Wisconsin Badgers
Oshkosh Open
Wisconsin closes regular season with perfect score
October 19, 2012 | Women's Cross Country
Oct. 19, 2012
MADISON, Wis. --With the Big Ten championship drawing near, the Wisconsin women's cross country team was looking to close out the regular season with a strong performance at the Oshkosh Open on Friday.
The Badgers did just that by claiming the top twelve spots and posting a perfect team score of 15 points in the 6-kilometer event at Lake Breeze Golf Course in Winneconne, Wis.
Wisconsin ran away with the competition behind sophomore Kristen Yarows, who finished first for the Badgers and second overall in a time of 22:31.9. UW freshman Ariel Michalek, competing unattached, won the individual title in 22:21.2 and led the way for a sweep of the top 12 spots for Badger athletes.
Of those dozen, 10 competed for Wisconsin, with the Badgers claiming each of the first seven places eligible for team scoring in the meet.
Sophomore Dana Steffen crossed the finish line in third place, just behind Yarows in a time of 22:36.6. Sophomore Jessica Sykes took fourth overall in a time of 2:39.5, while junior Rebecca Stoebe placed fifth in a time of 22:48.8.
Freshman Madeline Timm rounded out the Badgers' scorers by clocking in at 22:56.3 for sixth. Junior Erica Spiegelberg finished seventh in a time of 23:02.4.
The Oshkosh Open was a successful opportunity for the team to get back on track before the championship season begins. Wisconsin competed against seven other teams and dominated the field, with UW-Oshkosh finishing in second place as a team with 57 points and UW-Stevens Point earning third place with 101 points.
The freshman duo of Clare McDonald and Grace Meurer claimed ninth and 10th place, with McDonald in a time of 23.31.4 and Meurer in a time of 23:38.7. Sophomore Sarah Miller clocked in at 23:55.36 in 11th place, and sophomore Megan Stenz closed out the meet for Wisconsin with a 12th-place finish in a time of 24:05.8.
Competing unattached along with Michalek, UW freshman Sarah Heinemann placed eighth overall in a time of 23:18.9.
Wisconsin is hoping to make it back to the NCAA championship for a second-consecutive season after the Badgers earned an at-large bid to the national meet last year. After a smooth start to the season, the Badgers hit a road block at the Wisconsin adidas Invitational, where they finished in 30th place overall.
Friday's meet gave the team's less experienced runners the opportunity to step up their performances, and it gave the coaches the chance to see who will join sophomore Gabrielle Anzalone, senior Ashley Beutler and senior Hanna Knurr as the Badger's top runners heading into the Big Ten championship.
Wisconsin races into the championship season next Sunday, Oct. 28, when the Badgers head to East Lansing, Mich., for the 2012 Big Ten Championship.
