ST. PAUL, Minn. – The Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) announced the recipients of their 2024 women’s cross country awards on Monday. The top 16 runners at the UMAC Championship were named to the All-Conference Team with the top eight finishers recognized as First Team and the next eight recognized as Second Team. The remaining awards are nominated and voted on by the conference head coaches.
Ella Dufault of the Crown College Polars was named the 2024 UMAC Individual Champion with a first-place finish at the UMAC Championship. The sophomore led the conference field with a time of 22:48.5; the fastest time for a UMAC individual champion since St. Scholastica’s Casey Hovland won the title in 2017 with a time of 21:52.0. In her championship-winning run, Dufault broke her previous career personal best time of 23:15.6 by 27.1 seconds
Brooklyn Hart of the Bethany Lutheran College Vikings was named the UMAC Rookie of the Year. The freshman was the runner-up to Default at the UMAC Championship, placing second overall with a time of 23:08.4 in her first collegiate championship race.
University of Wisconsin-Superior head coach Glen Drexler was named the UMAC Coach of the Year. In his 15
th season leading the Yellowjackets, Coach Drexler led UW-Superior to win the UMAC Championship for the second-consecutive year and the second time in the program’s history. Drexler’s Yellowjackets won the conference championship with a team score of 47, finishing nine points ahead of the runner-up.
The Martin Luther College Knights won the Team Sportsmanship Award, an accolade that is selected by the UMAC coaches and awarded to the team that best represents sportsmanship throughout the entire season, including the championship event.
Each team also had one representative earn All-Sportsmanship honors.
INDIVIDUAL CHAMPION
Ella Dufault | Crown Polars
ROOKIE OF THE YEAR
Brooklyn Hart | Bethany Lutheran Vikings
COACH OF THE YEAR
Glen Drexler | UW-Superior Yellowjackets
TEAM SPORTSMANSHIP AWARD
Martin Luther Knights
ALL-CONFERENCE FIRST TEAM
ALL-CONFERENCE SECOND TEAM
| Name |
Institution |
Yr. |
Hometown / High School |
| Isabelle Yuhanna |
Northwestern |
So. |
Ham Lake, Minn. / North Lakes Academy |
| Ruth Brueckner |
Crown |
Jr. |
Swanton, Vt. / Homeschool |
| Emery Maki |
Northwestern |
So. |
Hibbing, Minn. / Hibbing |
| Lilley Smith |
UW-Superior |
So. |
Ironwood, Mich. / Ironwood |
| Olivia Stanley |
Crown |
Fr. |
Verndale, Minn. / Verndale |
| Mia Arroyo |
Crown |
Fr. |
Wadena, Minn. / Verndale |
| Hope Sulzle |
Martin Luther |
Sr. |
Cottonwood, Ariz. / Luther Prep |
| Maya Habben |
Martin Luther |
Sr. |
Flagstaff, Ariz. / Luther Prep |
ALL-SPORTSMANSHIP
| Name |
Institution |
Yr. |
Hometown / High School |
| Naomi Anderson |
Bethany Lutheran |
Sr. |
Belle Plaine, Minn. / Minnesota Valley Lutheran |
| Lily Bandy |
Crown |
So. |
Otsego, Minn. / Rogers |
| Katelyn Mensching |
Martin Luther |
Sr. |
Watertown, Wis. / Luther Prep |
| Anna Russell |
North Central |
Sr. |
Woodbury, Minn. / New Life Academy |
| Madie Linka |
Northland |
Jr. |
Somerset, Wis. / Somerset |
| Abby Hachmeister |
Minnesota Morris |
Sr. |
Maryland Heights, Mo. / Pattonville |
| Emery Maki |
Northwestern |
So. |
Hibbing, Minn. / Hibbing |
| Halle Barker |
UW-Superior |
Sr. |
Superior, Wis. / Superior |
The UMAC is an NCAA Division III member comprised of eight full-time member schools from Minnesota and Wisconsin: Bethany Lutheran College, Crown College, Martin Luther College, North Central University, Northland College, University of Minnesota Morris, University of Northwestern, and University of Wisconsin-Superior.