WINTHROP, Minn. – The Yellowjacket women's cross country team competed at the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) Championships at Winthrop Golf Course. The 'Jackets have put together a strong season in 2023, and Saturday was nothing short of historic.
 
Out of the 11 runners competing for UW-Superior, nine earned a six-kilometer personal-best time, while the other two runners were off by a single second. Additionally, UWS finished with 43 points, placing three runners in the top five and claimed the first women's cross country championship in program history.
 
Finishing in first place was sophomore Cora Hudella (North Branch, Minn./North Branch Area), who clocked a 23:02.5 on the 6k course to be named the first UMAC champion for the Yellowjacket women's cross country program. Hudella's finish also bumps her to third on the all-time list of 6k times.
 
Halle Barker (Superior, Wis./Superior Senior) ended her afternoon in third for the 'Jackets with a 23:44.9. Barker took control of the race early and was just a second short of a new personal-best.
 
Junior Tea Boerner (Owatonna, Minn./Owatonna Senior) clocked a 24:11.4 good for a fifth-place finish. Boerner climbed the Yellowjackets all-time list and now sits in eighth place, while also setting a new PR of nearly a full minute.
 
Finishing in 16th place was newcomer Lilley Smith (Ironwood, Mich./Ironwood High School), finishing the course at a 25:33.2 mark and besting her previous time of 26:18.3. Meagan Berg (Tomahawk, Wis./Tomahawk) tailed Smith who finished in 18th place with a 25:52.7, logging her season-best time by a minute and a half.
 
Kimmie Downing (Ontario, Wis./Brookwood) clocked a 26:11.9 and set a new PR by five seconds, while Aubrey Peterson (Kasson, Minn./Kasson-Mantorville) bested her PR by nearly a minute with a 26:37.8 and Kenzy Kreuzer (Stoddard, Wis./De Soto) improved her previous best of 28:19 to 27:00.8.
 
Rounding out the Yellowjacket runners were Grace Hanson, Jordan Rader (Eagle River, Alaska/Eagle River) and Emma Winberg (Superior, Wis./Superior Senior). Hanson finished her afternoon with a 31:06.6, which is nearly a four-minute personal-record. Rader clocked a 33:19, shaving 91 seconds off her PR, while Winberg improved her PR by 30 seconds with a 33:57.8.
 
The Yellowjackets will now prepare for the NCAA Division III North Regional Championships, which is slated for Nov. 11 at Whitetail Golf Course at Colfax, Wis.