Kunkel and LaMere lead Pioneers at Drews/Neubauer Invite

ETTRICK, Wis. – The University of Wisconsin-Platteville men's and women's cross country teams competed against several nationally ranked teams at the Drews/Neubauer Invitional, hosted by UW-La Crosse on Saturday.

The fifth-ranked men's squad finished seventh (253) out of 27 team. The University of Minnesota won the meet with 55 points, and host 10th-ranked UW-La Crosse was the top Division III team in third-place with 98 points. Second-ranked St. Olaf finished in fourth (99), followed by eighth-ranked Central (109) and St. Thomas (224).

Individually, sophomore Ian LaMere placed sixth out of nearly 450 runners with a time of 24:57. Senior Joel Walden cruised through the 8k course in 25:16, good for 12th-place. Ethan Shanks posted a time of 26:38, followed by Dan LaCroix with a time of 26:41. Matt Smaga finished right behind LaCroix with a time of 26:42.

The women's team finished in 14th-place (373) out of 30 teams, as host UW-La Crosse won the team title with 61 points. Danielle Kunkel placed third out of 453 individuals with a time of 21:37, beating her personal best by 10 seconds. Kiera Depies finished in the top-30 with a time of 23:05, good for 29th-place. Ashlynne Wampfler completed the 6k course with a time of 24:34, while Allison Wells crossed the finish line in 24:41. Teagan Seneczko rounded the Pioneers' top-five with a time of 24:43.

The Pioneers return to action on Friday at the UW-Oshkosh Open.