2023 Northern Michigan Cross Country Season Preview 

The twenty-two-woman roster for the Wildcat cross country team will see plenty of new faces for the second consecutive season. The ‘Cats have only two runners that have multiple seasons under their belt running for the Green and Gold in Skylar Grubb and Talon Prusi.

Head Coach Jenny Ryan enters her 17th season leading the NMU cross country team. Ryan has led the Wildcats to at least a top-15 finish at the Midwest Regionals in 13 straight seasons. Ryan has perhaps the youngest squad in her tenure at NMU and will have one of the youngest teams in the country, with freshmen making up ten of 22 roster spots while sophomores will account for another eight.

Sophomore Madi Szymanski headlines the returning core for the Wildcats. Coming off of a 24th-place finish in a personal-best time of 22:42.1 at last year’s GLIAC Championships that earned her All-GLIAC Second Team honors, Madi will look to guide the ‘Cats to success this season. In 2022, NMU finished sixth of ten squads at the GLIAC Championships.

The Green and Gold collective participated in an intrasquad 5K last week, with Szymanski and freshman Ava Maginity slotting in at first and second not too far apart. At Boyne City High School, Maginity earned All-State, All-Conference, and All-Region honors each season from 2019-23.

Northern Michigan will also look to Gianna Hoving, Talon Prusi, and Skylar Grubb for significant contributions this season. At last year’s GLIAC Championships, Hoving finished 35th with a time 23:12.69, Prusi slotted in at 53rd with a time of 23:46.08, and Grubb crossed the finish line right after at 23:46.17 for 54th place.

The ‘Cats will begin the season on September 9th at the Northwood Invite.