Hillsdale College junior Liz Wamsley keeps adding to an already impressive legacy this fall with each meet she runs.
Already an All-American in both cross country and track and field, and a G-MAC Champion in cross country this October, Wamsley added an even more special accomplishment on Saturday at the NCAA DII Midwest Regional Championships at Angel Mounds in Evansville, Indiana.
Wamsley ran away from the field at the finish to win the Midwest Regional race in a personal-best time of 20:04.50 to become Hillsdale's first cross country regional champion since the legendary Emily Oren won on the same course in 2015. Wamsley's title comes against a strong field that included the third-place finisher in the nation in 2022, Grand Valley State's Klaudia O'Malley, and marks Wamsley as a legitimate contender to not only earn All-American honors again, but potentially compete for the national title at the 2023 NCAA DII Championships, scheduled to take place on November 18 in Joplin, Missouri.
It's the fifth race victory of the season for Wamsley, who placed 22nd in the nation at the NCAA DII Championships in 2022 and also earned All-American honors in indoor track in the 5,000m run and in outdoor track in the 10,000m run in 2022-23. Wamsley stayed tight with the lead pack that included O'Malley, GVSU teamate Natalie Graber, and Cedarville's Hannah Rhem before outkicking the trio to the line in a sprint finish.
As a team, a young Chargers squad placed 17th in the Midwest Region out of 32 contenders, gaining valuable experience for the future. Savannah Fraley finished a strong 41st in her first NCAA DII Regional race to lead Hillsdale's freshman pack, finishing in a personal best time of 21:39.3, and Chargers veteran Vera Thompson also ran one of her best times of the season for the 6K distance to finish 120th in 23:07.3.
Two freshmen rounded out Hillsdale's scoring pack. Megan Roberts took 143rd in a season-best time of 23:33.0, and teammate Anna Stirton finished right behind her in 144th, also running a personal best time of 23:33.6.
Junior Brynn Edison placed 158th in a personal best time of 23:58.3 as well for the Chargers, and freshman Eleanor Clark also ran a PR of 23:58.8 to place 162nd as well.
Photo Courtesy of Libby Price