WINTHROP, Minn. – The 2023 season was historic on multiple fronts for the Yellowjacket women's cross country team.
 
First, sophomore Cora Hudella (North Branch, Minn./North Branch Area) claimed the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) championship, becoming the first Yellowjacket to ever win the conference's women's individual title. Second, behind Hudella's championship, the Yellowjackets claimed the first-ever team conference championship in program history, allowing them the opportunity to raise a banner for the first time in Lydia Thering Fieldhouse.
 
Saturday, the Yellowjackets entered the 2024 UMAC Women's Cross Country Championships as the favorite, and the team didn't let the pressure affect its performance on a fast course in Winthrop.

The Yellowjackets had three runners finish among the top five, and they gutted out a nine-point win, to claim the program's second straight UMAC Championship in a close, hotly contested race.

As a team the Yellowjackets totaled 47 points, putting them nine ahead of runner-up Crown, who finished with 56. Not far behind was Martin Luther, who rounded out the top three with a total of 72 points.
 
Leading the way for the Yellowjackets as she has done all season was Simone Stephens (Scottsdale, Ariz./Saguaro). Stephens was the first Yellowjacket across the line Saturday, finishing the six-kilometer course with a time of 23:29.0. The finish represented a new personal record for Stephens, who has had a remarkable season in her first collegiate cross country campaign.
 
Stephens finished the race 41 seconds behind the winner, Ella Dufault of Crown and 21 seconds behind runner-up Brooklyn Hart of Bethany Lutheran. Dufault won the UMAC individual title with a time of 22:48.5, making her the only runner to break the 23-minute mark.
 
Meet Notes

• Coming in behind Stephens was defending champion Hudella, who came in with a time of 23:59.3, putting her in fourth place.
• Tea Boerner (Owatonna, Minn./Owatonna) earned a fifth-place finish Saturday, crossing the line with a time of 24:06.1, which established a new personal record.
• Lilley Smith (Ironwood, Mich./Ironwood) would be the next Yellowjacket to cross the finish line, coming in with a time of 25:16.0. Smith's time, which was a new personal record, put her in 12th place on the day.
• Two more Yellowjackets garnered top-25 finishes Saturday. Scarlett Vanderscheuren (Saginaw, Minn./South Ridge) finished the day in 23rd place, finishing with a time of 26:56/7. She was just under six seconds clear of teammate Aubrey Peterson (Kasson, Minn./Kasson-Mantorville), who placed 24th with a time of 27:02.0.
• Vanderscheuren's time set a new personal record.
• Kayela Putnam (Stephenson, Mich./Stephenson) finished the day with a time of 27:42.8, which was good for 31st place.
• Kenzy Kreuzer (Stoddard, Wis./De Soto) earned a time of 29:30.5 Saturday, putting her in 44th place.
• Rounding things out for the Yellowjackets Saturday was Grace Hansen (Superior, Wis./Superior), who finished with a time of 31:20.5.
• In total, the Yellowjackets established four personal records Saturday.

The Yellowjackets will be back in action Saturday, November 16 when they compete at the NCAA Division III North Regional in Northfield, Minn. The meet is scheduled for an 11 a.m. start at Bill Huyck Championship Course.