The NCC women’s cross country team shattered all expectations this season by concluding their season on a high note. With their fifth-place finish in the NCAA Division III Midwest Regional meet, the Cardinals will look to build on the success they achieved this season.
Exceeding expectations
To begin the 2023 campaign, the Cardinals weren’t ranked within the Midwest Region in Division III cross-country rankings. The season proved to be a success for the team, as they ranked fifth overall in the final Midwest Region rankings.
This was a major improvement for the Cardinals, who were counted out by the Division III cross-country world. They leapfrogged Wheaton College and Illinois Wesleyan University to finish as the highest-ranked CCIW team in the final polls.
Paige Runkle, ‘25, is one of the runners on the Cardinal team. As an upperclassman on a relatively inexperienced team, she saw the team exceed their goal for this season: growth.
“I’d say that the goal that we set as a team is to gain experience all around. We had a couple more races this season than we usually do. I was excited to get out on the course more,” said Runkle.
The gains the team showed throughout this season left the taste of victory in the mouths of their returning core. Although the team didn’t qualify for the NCAA Championships, they did take major strides.
Shaking up the region
After placing third in the CCIW women’s cross country at their home course, St. James Farm, the Cardinals didn’t let the finish knock them down. The Cardinals then came into the regional looking to make an impact.
Julia Benes, ‘25, led the charge for the Cardinals, finishing 28th overall on the 6,000-meter course with a time of 22:25. Lily Anderson, ‘27, and Nicole Brandy, ‘24, finished in 46th and 49th place with times of 23:19 and 23:22 respectively.
A pair of freshmen were the next to finish for the Cardinals, as Alayna Ruach, ‘27, and Segilola Smith-Pariola, ‘27, finished 56th and 62nd overall with times of 23:33 and 23:39 respectively.
All of these individual efforts accounted for the scoring for the Cardinals, as they finished with 241 points. That number is relevant, as they barely eked past CCIW foe Illinois Wesleyan in the rankings by four points.
Bittersweet ending
To conclude, the Cardinals have much to be proud of at the end of this season. The future is certainly looking bright as freshmen runners gained valuable experience in collegiate cross-country while establishing a name for themselves.
This final regional meet was especially important for the Cardinals. Two seniors ran for the final time in a Cardinal uniform. Lauren Belvel, ‘24, and Brandy are the lone seniors on the team.
Additionally, Runkle saw this season as a chance to help the pair of seniors end their collegiate running careers on a high note.
“Knowing this is my last season with the seniors who we’ve gotten super close to, I wanted them to go out on top,” she said.
The team certainly lived up to the goals and proved many people wrong. The Cardinals will look to use their return to the rankings as motivation going forward. With multiple key pieces returning next season, the future is bright for women’s cross country.
