MILWAUKEE – The Panther men's and women's cross country teams will begin their 2025 season on Saturday, Aug. 30 at the Tom Barry Invitational, hosted by the Green Knights of St. Norbert in Green Bay, Wis.
 
The meet will take place at Shorewood Cross Country Course, on the campus of Green Bay. The women's 5k will be held first at 10 a.m., followed by the men's 6k at 10:45 a.m.
 
A NEW FACE
Milwaukee cross country welcomes Priscilla Schultz as the Associate Head Coach of the program. Schultz comes to the Panthers after spending the past three seasons as an assistant coach at the University of Arizona. Schultz began her collegiate coaching career at Arizona State University, where she was a decorated student-athlete and was the first female All-American in Arizona State cross country history.
 
THE HEAD COACH
Head Coach Andrew Basler returns for his eighth season leading the Panther cross country program. A year ago, Basler led the women's cross country team to a fifth-place finish at the Horizon League Championships with 111 points. He has four women's cross country Horizon League Championships under his belt, and he will be looking to add another this season.
 
2024 WOMEN'S RECAP
The Panther women's cross country team enters the new season with championship aspirations, aiming to capture the program's fifth Horizon League title in the last eight years.
 
The new season will begin with the Milwaukee women slotted to finished fifth in the Horizon League's preseason poll. The Panthers will certainly be looking to climb up the rankings this season to take the Horizon League's top spot.
 
Returning to lead the charge are 10 experienced runners from last season, including the team's top two finishers at the 2024 Horizon League Championships. Anelise Egge, who was named Horizon League Runner of the Year and captured the individual championship, the first Panther to do so since Meg Swietlik in 2020, is back to defend her title. Rachel Helm, who placed tenth last year, also returns to bolster the squad.
 
Milwaukee is also eager to welcome back experienced veterans in Ally Schmitz and Anna Gallagher who look to have breakout seasons for the Panthers.
 
2024 MEN'S RECAP
On the men's side, the Panthers will be looking to improve on their ninth-place finish at last season's Horizon League Championships. Picked to finish seventh in the 2025 Horizon League preseason poll, they will be leaning on their 15 returners to help lead the charge up the standings this season.
 
Milwaukee is led by Carter Eckhoff and Sam Schreiber, who both placed in the top 50 at the Horizon League Championships last year. Other key contributors for the men include Cullen Boyle and Lucas Picco who had strong showings last season.
 
LOOKING AHEAD
Following their season opener in Green Bay, the Panthers will be back on the same course for the Phoenix Open, hosted by UW-Green Bay, on Sept. 6.