Wisconsin Badgers
John McNichols Invitational
Badgers take 16th at the John McNichols Invitational
September 19, 2026 | Women's Cross Country
Drobac leads the Cardinal and White in Terre Haute
MADISON, Wis – The Wisconsin women's cross country team placed 16th at the John McNichols Invitational on Saturday morning at the LaVern Gibson Championship Cross Country Course in Terre Haute, Indiana.
Freshman Emmerson Drobac led UW, finishing 69th in her second race as a Badger, covering the 6K course in 21 minutes, 29.6 seconds. Behind her, senior Mikaela Helling finished 80th in 21:34.6, followed closely by junior Liv Phillips in 87th with a time of 21:34.6. Juniors Sara Mlodik and Eva Kuehn rounded out the scoring lineup with times of 21:57.4 and 22:00.3, respectively. The Badgers tallied 422 to finish in 16th place in a highly competitive field.
The freshmen dominated, with Brighter Jepchumba of Eastern Kentucky capturing the individual title in 19:14.0. Northern Arizona took the team championship with 61 points, followed by Utah in second with 107 points and Washington State in third with 121 points.
In the B race, four freshmen gained valuable experience in Terre Haute, the site of this year's NCAA Championships. Olivia Chellevold led the pack in 37th place with a time of 22:59.3. Lucy Dolan and Alexa Novak finished within 6 places of one another, placing 43rd and 49th with times of 23:13.5 and 23:31.5. Bennett Schmitt followed in 80th with a time of 24:45.0.
Up Next: Wisconsin will travel to Chicago for the Sean Earl Lakefront Invitational on Friday, Sept. 25. The Women's 6K race is set to start at 9:00 a.m. CT.
Championship Race Team Results
1. Northern Arizona (8) – 61
2. Utah (20) – 107
3. Washington State (21) – 121
4. Toledo (25) – 124
5. Florida (14) – 156
6. Washington (22) – 176
7. Boston College (28) – 217
8. Eastern Kentucky – 248
9. Michigan State – 267
10. Louisville – 280
11. Utah Valley – 284
12. Indiana – 311
13. Georgia – 335
14. Air Force – 358
15. Harvard – 406
16. Wisconsin – 422
17. CBU – 481
18. Indiana State – 513
19. Weber State – 559
20. Purdue – 567
21. Navy – 579
22. Kennesaw State – 622
23. Washington U. (10) – 679
24. Lipscomb – 721
25. Illinois-Chicago – 722
26. Western Illinois – 782
27. Rio Grande – 888
28. Indianapolis – 905
Wisconsin Individual Championship Results:
69. Emmerson Drobac – 21:29.6
80. Mikaela Helling – 21:34.6
87. Liv Phillips – 21:37.6
102. Sara Mlodik – 21:57.4
105. Eva Kuehn – 22:00.3
116. Zaira Malloy-Salgado – 22:07.1
151. Ella Anschutz – 22:36.2
166. Emma Kruse – 22:46.3
205. Myra Stray – 23:40.9
Wisconsin B Race Results:
37. Olivia Chellevold – 22:59.3
43. Lucy Dolan – 23:13.5
49. Alexa Novak – 23:31.5
80. Bennett Schmitt – 24:45.0
