“This really means a lot,” Kroll said. “It was really aggressive at certain points, so I’m happy I was able to come out and take first for my team.”

Kroll was one of three Spartan women to walk away with individual honors — both she and sophomore Leah O’Connor (fourth overall/20:24) were named First-Team All-Big Ten, and senior Rachel McFarlane (14th/20:45) earned Second-Team All-Big Ten. Despite her first-place finish, Kroll and her teammates took second overall — falling short of Michigan by 20 points and snapping a two-year skid as being Big Ten champions.

Although a runner-up finish wasn’t exactly what the Spartans had in mind, assistant coach Lisa Senakiewich said she couldn’t be more proud of her team.

“They’re a competitive group of women, but even beyond that, they have each other’s backs,” she said. “They really have become a team, and it’s been great to see.”

The afternoon proved to be much more difficult for the men’s cross country team.

The Spartan men finished seventh overall, with Wisconsin dominating the field and taking its 14th consecutive Big Ten championship title.

For David Madrigal, last year’s Freshman of the Year for MSU, the pace of the race presented more of a challenge than the weather conditions, but he still felt optimistic about his team’s overall performance.

“I got a little caught up in the pace of the race,” he said. “I’d like to say it didn’t catch me off guard, but it did. I felt it later on in the race, but I think, as a team, we looked pretty strong.”

Although the men’s cross country team fell short of having any competitors take home individual Big Ten honors, according to Senakiewich, both squads have much to look forward to in the upcoming regional and national competitions.

“They’ve always understood the team concept, but I think, more than ever, it’s a part of who we are,” Senakiewich said. “It’s a fabric of who we are, and it’s something that makes us extra special.”