The Wildcat Women’s Cross Country team is now two meets into the season.  

With only three meets left till the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference Cross-Country Championships, the team is getting into mid-season form.  

The goal this year is improvement.  

“As a team we want to be top eight in the conference meet, placing higher than our 12th place finish last year would be great,” Kelsey Larsen, a junior on the Wildcat CC and track team, said. 

This season they have competed in two of the biggest local meets, Augustana Twilight Invite and the Nebraska Woody-Greeno Invite, running against the likes of South Dakota State, Minnesota State, Creighton University, University of Nebraska- Lincoln, Air Force, Kansas State, Kansas University and many other talented teams from all divisions.  

With such a competitive field, the Wildcats prevailed. So far this season placing 16 out of 28 teams in Sioux falls, and 21st out of 28 teams in Lincoln.  

“We have had two meets and had some tough competition, our team has been working really hard and we are already seeing improvements,” Brooke Solomon, an eighth-place finisher at the Wildcat Classic in 2021, said. 

Next week, the Wildcats return home for the Wildcat Classic hosted in WSC’s backyard at the Wayne Country Club golf course. Two weeks after that meet the Wildcats will compete again at the country club, but the stakes are raised for this meet. For the second year in a row Wayne State College will host the NSIC Cross-Country Championships.  

“We have been practicing on this course, but the Wildcat Classic will really help prepare our underclassman for the championship,” Larsen said. 

“Our freshman have been making significant improvements, I am looking forward to seeing them develop and compete well,” junior Lindsey Stuckey, a recent addition to the Wildcat Cross-Country team, said.  

Coach Marlon Brink’s recruiting class of six true freshman loaded the team up for another year-round season of miles on miles. The team is led by a pack of juniors; Alison Steinman, Solomon, Larsen, Kylie Pachta, Stuckey.  

“I feel that as a team, we have really been able to hold each other accountable when needed,” Larsen said. “There is a lot of support within our group this year. I have teammates that motivate and push me every day.” 

The Women’s Wildcat Cross Country team lines up on Saturday, Sept. 23 at 4:00 p.m. for the fourth annual Wildcat Classic at the Wayne Country Club.