Cross country at WIAC Championship - October 30, 2021
Benjamin LeMay, UW-Stout Athletics
Left to right: Gunner Schlender, David Fassbender and Christian Patzka led the men, while Ari De La Cerda, Paige Fassbender and Roxanne Temple led the women. (Photos by Benjamin LeMay, UW-Stout Athletics)

Women's Cross Country

Fassbender Earns Title; Men Second, Women Sixth at WIAC Meet

Related Links:
Men's Results
Women's Results
WIAC Championship Web Page
 
The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater men's and women's cross country teams competed Saturday at the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Championships (Presented by Culver's) at Whitetail Golf Course in Colfax, Wis.
 
The Warhawk men placed second to match the program's highest finish since 1999 with 35 points, just four off the winning pace. David Fassbender (Slinger, Wis./Slinger) became the team's first WIAC individual champion since Gary Garcia in 2004, topping the 95-runner field with a season-best time of 24:35.1, more than four seconds than the runner-up.
 
The women finished sixth with a score of 192. Paige Fassbender (Slinger, Wis./Slinger) cracked 24 minutes for the second time in her last three races with a 23:59.2, good for 33rd out of 82 runners, to lead the team.
 
Five men finished among the top 15 overall in the 8-kilometer race to earn all-conference honors. After Fassbender, Gunner Schlender (Brillion, Wis./Brillion) and Christian Patzka (Black Earth, Wis./Wisconsin Heights) placed third and fourth, respectively. Schlender crossed the finish line in a personal-record 24:48.5, while Patzka also cracked 25 minutes for the first time in his career with a result of 24:54.1.
 
Justin Krause (Ixonia, Wis./Pewaukee) and Kyle Neuroth (Muskego, Wis./Muskego) finished 13th and 14th, respectively. Krause posted a career-best 25:31.0, and Neuroth collected a season-best 25:31.8.
 
Other top-seven finishers included Christian Seagren (Dixon, Ill./Dixon), who crossed the finish line 23rd in a personal-best 25:58.1, and Chris Allen (Downers Grove, Ill./North), who placed 28th with his career record time of 26:09.2.
 
For the women, Fassbender was followed by Ari De La Cerda (Milwaukee, Wis./Pewaukee), who placed 40th overall with a 24:23.8. Roxanne Temple (Ingleside, Ill./Grant Community) completed her race in 25:00.7, good for 55th.
 
Sarah Niehueser (Fond du Lac, Wis./Winnebago Lutheran Academy) and Jill Cavanaugh (Port Washington, Wis./Port Washington) finished 63rd and 65th, respectively. Niehueser crossed the finish line in 26:04.1, and Cavanaugh posted a time of 26:12.8.
 
Alyssa Dobbs (Greendale, Wis./Greendale) and Samantha Pieper (Marinette, Wis./Marinette) rounded out UW-Whitewater's top seven. Dobbs tallied a 27:16.1, good for 72nd, and Pieper placed 73rd with her career-best time of 27:17.4.
 
Following the completion of the event, Schlender was announced as the Men's Newcomer of the Year. Cavanaugh of the women's team and Nick Schmidt (Sussex, Wis./Hamilton) of the men's team represented UW-Whitewater on the WIAC All-Sportsmanship Teams.
 
The NCAA North Regional is set for Saturday, Nov. 13, back at Whitetail Golf Course in Colfax. The men's 8K begins at 11 a.m., followed by the women's 6K at 12 p.m.
 
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Players Mentioned

Jill Cavanaugh

Jill Cavanaugh

5' 4"
Sophomore
Alyssa Dobbs

Alyssa Dobbs

5' 8"
Sophomore
Paige Fassbender

Paige Fassbender

Sophomore
Sarah Niehueser

Sarah Niehueser

5' 8"
Junior
Ari De La Cerda

Ari De La Cerda

5' 8"
Freshman
David Fassbender

David Fassbender

Senior
Justin Krause

Justin Krause

5' 10"
Sophomore
Kyle Neuroth

Kyle Neuroth

Senior
Nick Schmidt

Nick Schmidt

5' 4"
Sophomore
Chris Allen

Chris Allen

6' 1"
Freshman

Players Mentioned

Jill Cavanaugh

Jill Cavanaugh

5' 4"
Sophomore
Alyssa Dobbs

Alyssa Dobbs

5' 8"
Sophomore
Paige Fassbender

Paige Fassbender

Sophomore
Sarah Niehueser

Sarah Niehueser

5' 8"
Junior
Ari De La Cerda

Ari De La Cerda

5' 8"
Freshman
David Fassbender

David Fassbender

Senior
Justin Krause

Justin Krause

5' 10"
Sophomore
Kyle Neuroth

Kyle Neuroth

Senior
Nick Schmidt

Nick Schmidt

5' 4"
Sophomore
Chris Allen

Chris Allen

6' 1"
Freshman