Northern Michigan University sophomore Madi Szymanski had a standout performance at the NCAA Division II Championships, representing her school in a college women’s cross country meet in Missouri. Despite facing a field of over 260 runners, Szymanski finished an impressive 65th, with a time of 21 minutes and 6.2 seconds for the six-kilometer course.

Throughout the race, Szymanski moved up in the field, improving her position from 91st at the 1K mark to 73rd at the 5K mark. Her impressive season was capped off with All-GLIAC honors and All-Region recognition. Szymanski also set a personal record time for a 6K, finishing with a time of 20:55.83 at the regionals, which was her best finish of the season.

NMU cross country coach Jenny Ryan praised Szymanski for her incredible season and hard work. “Madi is an exceptional athlete who has put in countless hours of dedication and hard work to get to where she is today,” Ryan said. “She has shown tremendous improvement throughout the season and we are incredibly proud of all that she has accomplished.”

In addition to Szymanski’s individual success, Grand Valley State took home the team title for the seventh time in program history, with all of their top five runners finishing inside the first 30.