Adrian Northrup

Last year, the women’s cross country team had a goal of making it to the NCAA championships.

But once the women got there, they placed 23rd.

This time around, with a new coach and a stronger team, the Blugolds are setting their goals higher.

Eau Claire is one of 16 at-large teams participating at the NCAA Div. III championships hosted by Wilmington College (Ohio).

“Last year . probably like three of us had a good race and the other four weren’t so great,” junior Bridget Bocher said. “Now this year we came into it and said we want top eight.”

First-year coach Brian Falk said he could see the women pulling off a top eight finish, especially after making it through the brutally tough Midwest Regional.

“It’s really hard to make predictions like that because you never know how other teams will run,” he said. “But with the way the women are running now that’s an achievable goal.”

Coming off a recent fourth-place finish in the NCAA Midwest Regional meet and from the team’s constant improvement over the season, Bocher said she could see the team even grabbing a top-four finish.

Bocher said the reason the team placed 23rd last year was because it set its goal only to make nationals.

“That was the goal, so we hit it,” she said. “We didn’t have our heads on, but this year, we’ll run a faster race. All the girls have been focused.”

Falk said he is thrilled about nationals but more for the progress each runner has made.

“The most exciting part about it is how much everyone has improved over the course of the season. That’s how I measure myself,” he said. “If the athletes aren’t continuing to improve, it doesn’t matter if we win every race.”

This year’s women’s cross country team is the fourth women’s Blugold team to head to a national tournament. The women’s golf team, the women’s volleyball team and the women’s soccer team all achieved the same feats this fall.

Junior Molly Warner said this is a result of the strong athletic program the Blugolds have built.

“It makes me feel proud as a Blugold to know a lot of our athletic teams are heading into championships,” she said.

As the women prepare for Saturday’s national race, Falk said the team is working on taking it easy and resting their bodies.

“This has been our easiest week of the season,” he said. “The last few days we’ll just be doing a fraction of the training.

You’ve done all the hard work you can at this point, now it’s a matter of resting and racing.”

Racing at nationals will be the same seven girls who competed at the regional meet. They include: Bocher, Warner, senior Cassie Haak, junior Amber Hertz, senior Christina Locke and sophomore twins Beth and Ellie Lutz.

Warner said the group of seven going into nationals is strong and ready to push for that top eight.

“This whole season, we’ve come together,” she said. “Our times have gotten progressively closer to each other more and more.”

Falk said the team’s success in part is due to the legacy former coach Tracy Yengo left.
“A lot of the credit for this season should go to (Yengo),” he said. “She built a team that was easy to come into. They were so focused and disciplined to take on the task of this season.”

The team faces UW-La Crosse, the WIAC champion, Washington University, (Mo.), North Central College (Ill.) and the University of Chicago from the Midwest Region.

Washington University and North Central were automatic qualifiers after last week’s Midwest Regionals.

“La Crosse and Wash. U have always finished well,” Bocher said. “North Central was quite a surprise. Every year anything can happen. It’s just one race. It’s not like a tournament where you can have time to get things together.”

Whatever happens at nationals, Warner said the Blugolds will be ready to put their all into the race.

“This weekend we’re just going to go out there and hope that we can back up all the work we’ve put into
this season.”