Romeoville, Ill. – After a long trip to the state of Illinois, the Wildcats were ready to participate in the 2026 Lewis Crossover. With 26 schools participating in the Women's 6000m, the Wildcats came out in sixth place with a team score of 176, just behind their rival Western Washington with 171. Colorado Christian University left the state as the winner with a team score of just 74.
 
Race Recap:
 
Maddy Harrison delivered another impressive performance as she led the way for the Wildcats once again. With 100 runners competing in the Women's 6000m, Harrison crossed the line in sixth place, posting a time of 22:04.3. Payton Conover trailed just after Harrison in eighth place with her time of 22:12.2, giving the Wildcats two runners in the top ten. Next to finish the event for the 'Cats was Dawn Hulstedt, running a 22:29.7, putting her in 22^nd place. The final two Wildcats were Hannah Pidduck in 58^th with a 23:14.8 and Lillian Neff in 85^th running a 23:40.0, respectively. Winona State University held the two fastest times of the Women's 6000m, with Stella Rusch laying down a lightning-quick time of 21:13.4 and followed by her teammate Kelsey Young with a 21:30.4. Rusch blew away the competition, finishing 17 seconds ahead of second place.
 
Up Next:
 
Following the out-of-state competition, the Wildcats will have a week off as they rest their bodies to prepare for the Tyson Invitational. The event is hosted by Gonzaga University and will take place on Friday, Oct. 23 at 3 p.m. This will be the team's final meet before the GNAC Championships on Nov. 7.