McLean County Times

Illinois Wesleyan University's women's cross country team marked a significant milestone at the NCAA Division III National Championship in Newville, Pennsylvania. Sophomore Crabtree and junior Chudy became the first pair from the university to qualify individually for this prestigious event.

The race course was notably challenging, with steep hills testing the endurance of all participants. Both runners started strong, placing themselves in the middle of the pack at the 1,600-meter mark, with Crabtree in 105th place and Chudy in 142nd.

As they approached the 2-kilometer point, competitors entered a difficult wooded section where hills affected their pace. Emerging from this segment with one kilometer remaining, Crabtree held onto 109th place while Chudy was in 230th position. Ultimately, Crabtree finished her debut national championship race in 105th place with a time of 22:34.6. Chudy crossed the finish line in 235th place, recording a time of 23:26.2.

In other results from the competition, Fiona Smith from St. Benedict claimed individual honors with a time of 19:54.1. Carlton secured the team title by scoring 151 points, followed by NYU and University of Chicago taking second and third places respectively.