Northern Michigan University sophomore, Madi Szymanski, represented her school at the NCAA Division II Championships in a college women’s cross country meet in Missouri. She finished 65th out of over 260 runners in the field, completing the six-kilometer course in an impressive time of 21 minutes and 6.2 seconds. Szymanski’s performance was nothing short of remarkable as she moved up in the field throughout the race, going from 91st at the 1K mark to an impressive 73rd at the 5K mark.

Szymanski had an outstanding season, earning All-GLIAC honors and All-Region recognition. Her personal record time for a 6K improved three times throughout the season, with a time of 20:55.83 at the regionals being her best finish. The Alpena native’s hard work and dedication paid off as she was praised by her NMU cross country coach, Jenny Ryan, for her incredible season.

The Grand Valley State team took home the team title for the seventh time in program history, with all of their top five runners finishing inside the first 30. Szymanski’s impressive performance was a testament to her talent and determination, and she will undoubtedly be one to watch in future cross country meets.