Maddie Szimanski, a sophomore at Northern Michigan University, ran women’s cross country at Missouri in college and represented her alma mater at the NCAA Division II Championships. Despite being in a field of over 260 runners, she finished an impressive 65th. Szimanski completed the six-kilometer course in 21 minutes and 6.2 seconds, moving up in the field throughout the race.
The Alpena native had a standout season, earning All-GLIAC and All-Region honors. Her personal best time of 6K was broken three times during the season, with her best finish coming at regionals where she finished in 20:55.83. Szimanski’s hard work did not go unnoticed by her coach, Jenny Ryan, who praised her for her incredible season.
Grand Valley State took home the team title for the seventh time in program history, with all five of its top runners finishing in the top 30.