Seven Spartans Earn All-Region Honors at Great Lakes Regional Championships

MADISON, WIS. – Seven Spartans earned All-Region honors at the NCAA Cross Country Great Lakes Regional Championship where the women landed on the podium in third and the men placed fifth on Friday, Nov. 10.

“I’m really proud of both teams behavior,” Director of Cross Country and Track and Field Lisa Breznau. “I think the regional meet is a test of behavior and grit. It’s a long and demanding season so to perform well at this time is really meaningful.”

 

In the women’s 6K, MSU was the only team with two in the top-5 as grad Katie Osika crossed the line in third, followed shortly behind by senior Makenna Veen in fourth. Grad Lauren Freeland was 10^th while senior Emily Bardwell was 22^nd.

 

On the men’s side, senior Andrew Nolan led the Spartan charge as he finished the 10-kilometer course in 11^th. Grad Josh Smith continued his breakthrough fall, placing 21^st while senior Owen Huard followed in 23^rd.

 

This marks the second time in the last three years that seven Spartans between both teams claimed the All-Region honor and the 13^th time in the last 15 seasons with six plus runners earned the accolade. The women’s team’s third place finish is also the best for the team since topping the region in 2019.

 

Concluding the scoring on the women’s side was Second Team All-Big Ten grad-senior Grace Molloy in 43^rd. For the men, senior Alexander Penski and grad Aden Smith rounded out the scoring.

 

Racing on the Hans Zimmer Championship course in Madison for the third time in as many races, Veen clocked a personal-best 20:16.8 6K time as her 4^th place finish was up 22 spots from last season’s regional. For Osika, it’s the second straight year that she’s claimed the individual bronze at the Great Lakes Regional.

 

As only the top two finishing teams from each of the nine regions around the nation are granted an automatic bid to the NCAA Championships, both the men and the women will await a verdict in the selection show on Saturday, Nov. 11 at 5 p.m. for whether they will earn at-large bids.

 

The NCAA Championships are set to take place on Saturday, Nov. 18 at the historic Panorama farms in Charlottesville, Virginia. In the occasion that a Michigan State team is not selected to compete, select Spartan athletes that posted adequate results throughout the season may be selected to compete as individuals.

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