SIOUX Falls, S.D. –  Winona State women's cross country opened the 2026 season with a third-place finish at the Augustana Twilight, leading all NCAA DII teams.
 
The Warriors tallied 103 points in the 28-team event, trailing only NCAA DI programs South Dakota and South Dakota State. Stella Rusch led the Warriors, finishing second out of 349 racers, with a time of 17:10.1.
 
Sophomore Kelsey Young was just two runners behind, finishing fourth in 17:21.8 to have WSU be the only team with two runners in the top four. Sabrina Lechnir ran the 5k in 18:10.5 to finish 20th in her first collegiate race. Kelly McCarthy and Lexi Terwedo rounded out WSU's scorers, both finishing inside the top 50.
 
Winona State will turn their attention to the prestigious Roy Griak Invitational on Friday, September 18th.