The Illinois Springfield women's cross country team raced at the NCAA DII Midwest Regional Championship on Saturday, Nov. 9, at the Lewis Cross Country Course in Romeoville, Ill. The Prairie Stars finished 13th in a tough field of competition, including several top-10 nationally ranked programs and regional powerhouses.
Race Recap
- Junior Maddie Miller led the Prairie Stars with a standout performance, finishing in 22nd place with a 6k time of 21:57, earning All-Region honors
- Kaleigh Inniss followed closely, running an impressive race with a 46th-place finish in 22:38. Jordan Serrahn was the next UIS finisher, placing 72nd with a time of 23:12
- Jade Aubrey was close behind, finishing 95th in 23:38, while Marissa Roggensack added to the depth with a 102nd-place finish in 23:42
- Lillian Buzani and Emma Leahy completed the lineup with times of 23:44 and 24:02, finishing in 106th and 124th, respectively
- The Prairie Stars took 13th place out of 27 teams, marking their best-ever regional finish and surpassing their previous best of 15th place in 2019
Results
| Place | Student-Athlete | Result (6k) |
| 22 | Madelyn Miller | 21:57 |
| 46 | Kaleigh Inniss | 22:38 |
| 72 | Jordan Serrahn | 23:12 |
| 95 | Jade Aubrey | 23:38 |
| 102 | Marissa Roggensack | 23:42 |
| 106 | Lillian Buzani | 23:44 |
| 124 | Emma Leahy | 24:02 |
Grand Valley State claimed the team championship, with the top two individual finishers leading the way for the Lakers. Lewis finished as the top GLVC team, taking second place overall. The final automatic bid went to Cedarville.
The top three teams, along with two individuals not on with those teams, secured automatic bids to the national championship, while other teams and individual runners will await potential at-large selections. The full national championship field will be announced on Monday, Nov. 11.