Megan Hasz leads Gophers women's cross-country to Big Ten title

With three runners in the top 10, including individual champion Megan Hasz, the No. 6 Gophers women's cross-country team edged Wisconsin by six points to win the Big Ten team title on Friday at State College, Pa.

Hasz, a graduate student from Alexandria, Minn., finished the 6K course in 20 minutes, 34.5 seconds. She passed Michigan's Ericka VanderLende in the last 100 meters and beat the runner-up by eight-tenths of a second. Abby Kohut-Jackson of Minnesota was seventh (20:48.3) and Hasz's twin sister, Bethany, the defending conference champion, was ninth (20:54.4). Last year Megan Hasz was Minnesota's fifth runner in the Big Ten meet, placing 30th.

This is the third team title for the Minnesota women's program — the others were in 2007 and '08 — and the third individual champion. Besides Bethany Hasz in 2020, Eileen Donaghy was the Big Ten champion in 1987.

In the men's 5.2-mile race, the Gophers placed third (83) behind Wisconsin (27), which had five runners in the top nine, and Michigan (79). Alec Basten led Minnesota, taking fifth (24:49.2).

• Minot State President Dr. Steve Shirley, a Fargo native, was elected chair of the Division II Presidents Council and vice chair of the Board of Governors. He has served as the Presidents Council's vice chair since July 1.

• Four NSIC women's soccer teams are in the first NCAA Division II Central Region rankings. Bemidji State is third, Minnesota State Mankato fourth, Augustana eighth and Northern State ninth. The NSIC champion, plus two other conference champions, and the next five highest rated teams will advance to the region tournament starting Nov. 18 and 21.

• The MIAC men's and women's cross-country meets will be held at 11 a.m. and noon, respectively, on Saturday at St. Olaf in Northfield. Carleton is the women's and men's three-time defending champion.

• The Upper Midwest Athletic Conference cross-country meets will be held Saturday at Nemadji Golf Club in Superior, Wis., with the men's race at noon and the women's at 1 p.m.