CARMEL, Ind. – Behind a runner-up finish from senior Mikayla Fox, the Milwaukee women's cross country team repeated as Horizon League Champions on Saturday at IUPUI's Northview Church Course.
 
Milwaukee finished the meet with 47 points for first place. Oakland came in second with 64 points while Youngstown State was third with 70 points. UIC (152), Detriot Mercy (171), Wright State (171), Northern Kentucky (179), Green Bay (205), Purdue Fort Wayne (220), IUPUI (230), Cleveland State (292), and Robert Morris (331) rounded out this year's scoring.
 
With the win, Milwaukee claimed the Horizon League championship for the third time in four years, and the fifth time in program history.
 
Pacing the Panthers for the fifth time this season, Fox finished with a time of 22:22.8, the third time in four years the Oak Creek native has finished second at the league meet. Fox also became the first runner in program history to finish First-Team All-League four times and is just the fourth to reach that mark in Horizon League history.
 
Jake Reilly, in just his fourth year coaching the Milwaukee women's program, was named Women's Coach of the Year – his third time earning the award.
 
"Can't say enough about Coach Reilly," said head coach Andrew Basler. "He was handed the reins of the women's program four years ago and he's turned that program around. They've bought into his coaching style, training, and philosophy and it is paying off."
 
Junior Emily Burns also earned a spot on the First-Team list, taking sixth overall behind a time of 23:08.4.
 
Two runners earned second-team honors for the Panthers, as seniors Megan Safranski (23:25.8) and Audrey Janik (23:30.8) put together impressive times to finish ninth and 11th, respectively. Freshman Cailin Kinas (23:46.3) continued her strong first season, rounding out the scoring for Milwaukee with a 19th-place finish.
 
"Fox ran extremely well," said Basler. "Our two through four have been running consistently together and we figured that if they could run as a pack we would be in a great spot. We have about five runners that any day could come up and finish as our fith runner, so we have a lot of depth."
 
Junior Madison Franseen placed 22nd with a time of 23:51.7 in just her third collegiate race, while sophomore Brittany Helm finished with a time of 24:12.9 for 33rd.
 
"We spent all fall expecting ourselves to bring home another team championship, and that's the mindset we've had since July," Reilly said. "We went in with group running as the priority. We put four girls in all-conference standings, and that solidifies the reasoning that the women's team is, and will continue to be, a conference contender each year. We're really proud of the program and what they were able to accomplish this fall.
 
The season continues for Milwaukee at the Great Lakes Regional Championship in two weeks on Friday, November 12 in Evansville, Ind.