The University of Wisconsin men’s and women’s cross country each concluded the season Saturday at the 2025 NCAA Division I Cross Country Championships in Columbia, Missouri.
The women’s team entered the meet as an automatic-qualifier, having placed second at the regional meet Nov. 14 and the men’s team competed as an at-large qualifier, earning a berth after a strong regular season.
For two of Wisconsin’s most successful athletics programs, competing in the National Championships has become a regular occurrence, with 2025 being no different.
Entering the day as the No. 24 team in the nation, the women’s team had a respectable finish, placing right around their ranking with a 26th-place team finish.
Kylie Finger was the first Badger across the line in the 6,000-meter race as the 100th-place individual finisher. Leané Willemse, Mya Bunke, Bella Jacobsen and Nora Gremban were the other four scorers, with Sara Mlodik and Mikaela Helling rounding out the lineup.
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After an 11th place finish at the Nuttycombe Invitational and sixth place finish at the Big Ten Championships, the women’s team proved all year in belonging amongst the nation’s best teams, and was able to prove that again Saturday.
Earning an at-large berth proved that the men’s team garnered national recognition throughout its regular season, so Saturday was about proving they deserved to compete with the best teams in the country.
Donning a No. 16 national ranking heading into the meet, the men’s team, like the women’s, finished right around their ranking with a 19th-place finish.
In the 10,000-meter race, Wisconsin was led by Liam Newhart who placed 76th individually. Matran Ivri, Christian de Vaal, Archie Noakes and Johnny Livingstone joined him as scorers, with Micah Wilson and Bryce Stachewicz completing the lineup.
Having won the Sean Earl Lakefront Invitational, taking seventh at the Nuttycombe Invitational and third at the Big Ten Championships, Wisconsin deserved to compete at the highest level, and proved themselves worthy Saturday.
Head coach Mick Byrne leads one of the more successful programs at Wisconsin, and while the recognition is often too little, his teams continue to compete on the national level each season.
Competing at the National Championships has become the standard ending to the season for the Badgers’ cross country programs with both programs living up to that standard in 2025. And now, for many of the athletes, the focus shifts to the upcoming track season.