MILWAUKEE – The Milwaukee cross country teams will compete at the NCAA Great Lakes Regional hosted by the University of Evansville on Friday. The women will race the 6K at 10 a.m., followed by the men's 10K at 11 a.m.
 
THE NCAA GREAT LAKES REGIONAL

The meet will feature 35 schools from nine different conferences spanning across Indiana, Michigan, Ohio and Wisconsin. The Horizon League is the second most represented conference (9 teams) trailing the Mid-American Conference (10 teams).

The top two teams on both the men's and women's sides will punch their tickets to the NCAA National Championships set for Saturday, Nov. 22. With nine total regional competitions, 18 teams will advance across the United States. After the automatic qualifiers claim their spots, 14 teams will receive at-large nods for the NCAA DI Cross Country Subcommittee, making up the 32-team field.

Individual selections are different in nature, with the first four finishers from each regional meet (not belonging to an automatic qualifying team) automatically advancing to the NCAA Championships. Two individuals will be chosen at-large on both the men's and women's sides, rounding out the 38-runner field.
 
LAST YEAR'S REGIONAL ACTION

At last year's NCAA Great Lakes Regional, the Panthers saw a lot of individual success on the course. Anelise Egge, coming off her 2024 Horizon League Championships victory, delivered a school-record performance, finishing the 6K in 20:41.7. This feat marked her holding both 5K and 6K Milwaukee program bests, titles she still holds today.

Rachel Helm also saw success in Norton, Ohio, last season, turning in the eighth-best 6K outing in school history. She finished the event with a time of 21:36.3.

Other competing members of the Black & Gold included Ally Schmitz and Anna Gallagher who crossed the finish line at 23:05.5 and 23:17.8, respectively. The Panthers finished 25th out of 32 total teams with 665 points.

On the men's side, Sam Schreiber was the second Panther to complete the 10K race, clocking a time of 32:38.9 for a new personal best. Cullen Boyle was right behind him, completing the event in 32:50.8.

Aidan Sosnowski and Will Whiteis also competed at the regional meet turning in times of 33:18.3 and 33:22.3, respectively.
 
THIS SEASON

Egge has put together an impressive senior campaign, claiming top-10 finishes in five outings this season. The reigning Horizon League Female Runner of the Year secured a first-place victory at the Phoenix Open in Green Bay, Wis., running the 6K in 21:39.7. At the Joe Piane Invitational, Egge set a new program record in the 5K, clocking a time of 17:04.9. At this year's Horizon League Championships, she crossed the finish line second earning All-League First Team honors for the third straight year. The senior was also recognized as the Horizon League Female Runner of the Week twice this season, solidifying her dominance on the course.

Rachel Helm and Izabel Romero have had strong seasons for the Black & Gold as well. Helm, a 2024 All-League Second Team honoree, has finished in the top-20 three times this season. Her top finish came at the Tom Barry Invitational where she finished fifteenth and recorded a time of 19:48.0. At this year's Championships, the senior crossed the finish line in 19th-place, clocking a time of 21:51.0.

Romero shined at the Rumble in the Fort, finishing in 22nd-place. At the Horizon League Championships, she placed 23rd and was one of only six freshmen to claim a top-25 finish at the meet.

The men have been led by a trio of impressive runners including Sam Schreiber, Cullen Boyle, and Will Whiteis. Schreiber started the season out strong nabbing a personal best 6K time at the Tom Barry Invitational (19:16.3). He also placed within the top-15 in the Phoenix Open and Purdue Fort Wayne's Rumble in the Fort.

Boyle turned in a personal best 8K time at the Joe Piane Invitational in early October, crossing the finish line in 24:49.8. He also finished fourth at the Tom Barry Invitational (19:07.2).

Whiteis has become a force to be reckoned with in his sophomore campaign, finishing as the top Panther runner at the Horizon League Championships. He also secured three top-25 finishes this season with his best being 8th at the Tom Barry Invitational.
 
UP NEXT

Qualifying teams and individual runners will compete at the NCAA Cross Country Championships host by the University of Missouri. The meet will take place at Gans Creek Cross Country Course on Saturday, Nov. 22.