SAINT PAUL, Minn. – The University of Wisconsin-Superior women's cross country team has been selected to finish third in the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) in 2023, as the conference released its preseason poll in an announcement Monday.
 
UW-Superior earned a first-place vote and collected 38 points behind Martin Luther and Bethany Lutheran. The Knights earned seven first-place votes with 49 points, while the Vikings took second with 42 points.
 
The Yellowjackets return all but one runner from 2022, while six newcomers enter the program. The three returners who contributed to a third-place finish at the UMAC Championships last season are senior Meagan Berg (Tomahawk, Wis./Tomahawk), junior Halle Barker (Superior, Wis./Superior Senior), and sophomore Kimmie Downing (Ontario, Wis./Brookwood).
 
Berg earned an All-UMAC Second Team selection, finishing 10th at the 2022 UMAC Championships with a team-leading time of 26:17. Barker was also tabbed to the circuit's Second Team last season, finishing 13th with a team-second time of 26:50. Downing finished 20th with a team-third time of 27:26.
 
Minnesota Morris was picked fourth in the poll with 28 points, with North Central selected at fifth with 23 points. Rounding out the list was sixth-place Crown with 18 points, Northland at seventh with 14 points, and eighth-place Northwestern with 12 points.
 
The Yellowjackets start the season with the Bulldog Open at Lester Park Golf Course. The race is set for Sept. 8 at 4 p.m.