WINNECONNE, Wis. (Blugolds.com) – For the fourth time in the past five years, the UW-Eau Claire women's cross country team won the NCAA Division III Midwest Regional. Today's meet was held at Lake Breeze Golf Club.
Eau Claire won this year's regional with 67 points while the University of Chicago took second with 99. Both teams automatically qualify for the 2012 NCAA Championship, which will be held next Saturday in Terre Haute, Ind.
UW-Oshkosh's Christy Cazzola won the meet with a time of 20:51.83, 10 seconds in front of the rest of the field. A total of 276 runners competed in this year's regional.
Three Blugolds finished in the top five as Ashlyn Mauer (Sr.-Sheboygan Falls, Wis.), Madi Sawyer (Jr.-Champlin, Wis./Park) and Steph Sjostrom (Sr.-Champlin, Wis./Park) came in third, fourth and fifth place, respectively.
Mauer crossed the line with a time of 21:14.09, Sawyer finished the 6,000-meter race with a time of 21:38.64 and Sjostrom recorded a time of 21:42.47.
Next to finish for Eau Claire was Kelsey Jaeger (So.-Waukesha, Wis./West) with a time of 22:33.85 in 24th place while Elaina Meurer (Fr.-Fond Du Lac, Wis./St. Mary's Springs Academy) was 31st with a time of 22:40.52.
Since 2007, the Blugolds have finished no lower than second place at regionals. They were second in 2011 and 2007 while winning in 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2012.
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