Women's Cross Country Team Ranked Eighth in Preseason Poll

For Immediate Release: Friday, Aug. 28, 2009

New Orleans, La. – The University of Wisconsin-La Crosse women's cross country squad begins its 2009 season ranked eighth in the United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) NCAA Division III Preseason Poll released Friday. The Eagles received 225 points in the preseason national rankings while Calving College (Mich.) and Middlebury College (Vt.) were tied for first with 275 points.

Washington University, Mo. was third (265) followed by Wartburg College, Iowa (257) and Johns Hopkins University, Md. (238) to round-out the top-five. Two other Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) teams are ranked in the top-20, including UW-Eau Claire (9th) and UW-Oshkosh (15th). For a complete listing of the preseason poll, click here.

UW-L returns three of seven runners from the 2008 squad that finished eighth at the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division III Championships. The Eagles won the national title in 1983 and placed second in 1982. UW-L has 13 top-six finishes in school history, including eight in the top-four.

Seniors Katelynn Williams (44th), Alison Kolinski (146th) and Zoe Browne (207th) all competed at last year's national meet. Williams was also 10th at the NCAA Division III Midwest Regional and seventh at the WIAC Championships while Kolinski placed 37th at the regional and 24th at the conference meet. Browne was 52nd at the Midwest Regional.

UW-L finished third at the WIAC Championships in 2008 and second at the NCAA III Midwest Regional.

Pat Healy enters his 19th year at the helm of the UW-L women's cross country team in 2009. He has guided the Eagles to 13 top-10 finishes at the NCAA III cross country championships. UW-L placed fourth at the 2001 and 2005 championships, its best finish ever under Healy. The team has also captured four (2001, 2002, 2005, 2006) WIAC cross country titles under Healy.

The Eagles open their season Saturday, Sept. 12 at the All-American Invitational at Luther College (Iowa).