MARQUETTE, Mich. - The Northern Michigan cross country team has been picked to finish in sixth place in the GLIAC Preseason Coaches' Poll, announced by the league on Thursday.
The Wildcats were picked to finish fourth last year and ultimately finished in seventh place at the GLIAC Championships. Grand Valley State takes the top spot in this year's poll and they'll look to take the conference crown for the 25th consecutive year.
2025 GLIAC Women's Cross Country Preseason Coaches' Poll
1. Grand Valley State, 100 (10)
2. Parkside, 84 (1)
3. Wayne State, 80
4. Saginaw Valley State, 77
5. Michigan Tech, 65
6. Northern Michigan, 56
7. Ferris State, 49
8. Davenport, 32
9. Lake Superior State, 26
10. Purdue Northwest, 25
11. Roosevelt, 11
Headlining Northern's core is All-GLIAC senior
Madi Szymanski. The native of Alpena, Michigan, broke out for the Green and Gold in 2023, finishing in 8th place at the GLIAC Championships and 12th at the Regional race. It was a milestone race for Szymanski, finishing with a time of 20:55.83, taking nearly 40 seconds off of her personal record. She went on to represent the 'Cats at the National Championships, ending the season with a 65th-place finish in a field of more than 260 runners. Szymankski was sidelined in 2024 with an injury.
Several other returners will look to be top finishers for the Wildcats, including seniors
Beverly Harper and
Sophia Potter, juniors
Lamar Gordon,
Dani Van Lente, and
Emma Sweeney, and sophomores
Celia Wallace,
Lola Korpi, and
Brooke Lemos. NMU also welcomes five newcomers to the fold, with Ashley Chopnis and
Maija Maki-Warne looking to make an immediate impact as freshmen.
The 2025 season will mark the 19th for head coach
Jenny Ryan, and she's as excited for this year's squad as any she has had. "Over the summer, the athletes did a really good job at training…the culture on the team is one of the best its ever been. This could be one of the best teams that I've ever had," said Ryan.
The 26-athlete squad will open the season at the Phoenix Open in Green Bay on September 6.
