BATAVIA, Ill. (WLCSports.com) – Wisconsin Lutheran College delivered its best conference performance in well over a decade on Saturday, racing to a third-place finish at the 2026 Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference Championships held at Settler's Hill Cross Country Course.
The Warriors compiled 78 points to secure third overall in the team standings, marking the program's highest finish at the NACC Championships since placing second in 2012.
Junior
Kirstin Neuwirth (New Berlin, Wis.) and sophomore
Maddie Metz (Chino Valley, Ariz.) led the way for WLC, earning All-NACC honors by finishing inside the top 15. The duo became Wisconsin Lutheran's first all-conference performers since the 2022 championship meet. Neuwirth set the pace for the Warriors with an eighth-place finish, crossing the line with a 6K time of 24:28.8. Metz followed in 13th place, clocking in at 24:47.3.
WLC packed its scoring five tightly to hold off Concordia Wisconsin for the podium spot. Sophomore
Calliope Horn (San Diego, Calif.) placed 16th overall with a time of 25:04.5, while freshman
Madisen Job (Little Chute, Wis.) claimed 22nd overall in 25:23.7. Freshman
Annalise Kuehn (Wauwatosa, Wis.) rounded out Wisconsin Lutheran's scoring lineup in 25th overall at 25:43.1.
St. Norbert captured the NACC team championship with a score of 25 points, placing all five of its scoring runners inside the top nine. Aurora finished as the team runner-up with 66 points.
Aurora's Susana Martinez won the individual 6K conference title, crossing the finish line first in a time of 22:41.6.
WLC will turn its attention to the postseason when it travels to Northfield, Minnesota for the NCAA Division III North Regional on Saturday, November 14. The women's 6K championship race is scheduled to begin at 11 a.m. at the St. Olaf Cross Country Course.
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