The MSU women's cross country team celebrates the 2014 National Championship on Nov. 22, 2014, after the meet at LaVern Gibson Championship Cross Country Course in Terre Haute, Indiana. It was MSU's first women's cross country national championship victory.
Michigan State Women’s cross country is Big Ten Champions for the first time since 2014 after edging out Wisconsin and the reigning, three-time Big Ten Champion Michigan Wolverines at the Ohio State University Golf Club.
This Big Ten Championship is the seventh for the women’s cross country team and the fifth of this last decade.
“Michigan has won four (championships) and Penn State has won one, so I feel like we won the decade," Head Coach Walt Drenth said.
The Spartans came into this race ranked third in the Big Ten, but the depth of the Spartans was the deciding factor of the race as India Johnson, Lynsie Gram and Jenna Magness finished 14-16. Senior Annie Fuller led MSU with a time of 20:16.1.
“We had five kids in the top 18 ... and our sixth and seventh athletes we’re better than everyone else’s fifth athlete," coach Walt Drenth said. “Our depth was big and an important component in this.”
The race was highly contested throughout as the results show, even the Spartans halfway through the race were hanging around third or fourth before having a fantastic finishing to win the Big Ten Title. Wisconsin finished just six points behind Michigan State due to the drop-off of their fifth runner who finished at 35 compared to Magness finishing at 16.
"Throughout the group, our depth was good and their expectations are high. I'm really proud of them," coach Drenth said. "This is a good growth experience for everybody, and I expect we'll look for ways to be better in the next couple of weeks."
Here’s a look at the final scores from the Big Ten Championship:
1.Michigan State 56
2. Wisconsin 62
3. Michigan 88
4. Penn State 138
5. Ohio State and Illinois 144
7. Minnesota 145
8. Indiana 177
9. Iowa 273
10. Nebraska 283
11. Purdue 302
12. Maryland 336
13. Northwestern 353
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14. Rutgers 428
For those seeking to watch Michigan State win a Big Ten Title, the event will be on the Big Ten Network at 7 p.m. with replays at 9:30 p.m. Monday, at midnight and 5 p.m. Tuesday and on Wednesday at 11 a.m. The Spartans will look to finish in the top two at the NCAA Great Lakes Regional that takes place in Madison, Wisconsin to try and reach the NCAA championship meet.
