LINCOLN, Neb. - Yet another championship performance by Lindsay Cunningham and a strong Warrior effort across the lineup led to the Winona State University women's cross country team claiming the Gold Division title at the 2023 Greeno Dirksen Invitational team championship on Saturday, Sept. 16. 

Cunningham won the women's race with a time of 16:07.2 and Warrior teammate Kaylee Beyer earned runner up honors with a 16:55.2 performance.  Berlyn Schutz of the University of Nebraska took third at 17:10.7, and was the top NCAA Division I finisher on the day coming in behind the Winona State duo. Schultz's Husker teammate, Brynna McQuillen, was fourth at 17:18.4

For perspective on the day, Winona State's Cunningham and Beyer finished ahead of the top finishers from the University of Nebraska, Wichita State, Iowa State, the University of Kansas and Creighton.  The next non-NCAA Division I finisher: Sophia Taarud, of Winona State, who came in 11th overall with a 17:39.3. 

About the Winona State lineup performance, head coach John Hibshman said, "The women's team was the overall winner of the meet. We defeated all the NCAA Divison I schools... It was another incredible performance by the team...Our top five overall were amazing."

Winona State earned a team score of 22 in the Gold Division, placing them well ahead of St. Mary's (Kansas) who was second with 55 points and the University of Nebraska Kearney which took third with 109 points.  In addition to Cunningham, Beyer and Taarud, WSU saw tremendous performances from Allison Kenefick (22nd, 18:01.9) and McKenna Taylor (24th, 18:03.5).  

For WSU, the team and individual honors mark the second straight championship effort this fall. Winona State won the 2023 Phoenix Open, hosted by the University of Wisconsin Green Bay on Friday, Sept. 8.  Next up for Winona State is the Lewis Crossover, hosted by Lewis University in Romeoville, Ill on Oct. 7.