Girls Cross Country Wins State

Saturday, Nov. 2, 2024 was a day of firsts for the USM varsity cross country team. It was the first time in team history that the girls took the coveted title at the WIAA Boys and Girls Division 2 Cross Country Championships. And it was the first time that both the boys’ and girls’ cross country teams competed together at the state championship. For the girls, Bella Grenier ’25 and Annie Norman ’25 led the efforts, with Grenier finishing in 5th place at 18:24, and Norman finishing 6th at 18:32.7. Cate Kohli ’27, Lucy Konkol ’27, and Anastasia Marich ’26 completed the top five scoring results for USM, with Ainsley Polston ’28 and Sloan Becker ’28 also contributing for the Wildcats.

The championship capped off a fantastic season for the girls, one that saw Grenier set a new school record of 18:10.8 and placing second at the Arrowhead Cross Country Invitational, beating the previous record of 18:48.65 set by Mya Hartjes ’23 in 2021. The invitational is one of the state’s most competitive meets, and USM won the team invitational title.

For the boys, USM faced stiff competition and took home 8th place. Austin Jarmuz ’27, Beckett Newman ’28, Kiran Siddalingaiah ’25, Owen Birchall ’25, and Alex Frick ’25 were the top five scorers for USM, while Milo Meyer ’25 and Jake Raymond ’27 rounded out the team’s competitors. 

Congratulations to the entire USM cross country program for a historic season!