RIVER FALLS, Wis.- The UW-Oshkosh women's cross country team opened its season with a second-place finish at the UW-River Falls River Town Invitational. The Titans scored 52 points, finishing behind NCAA Division II University of Minnesota Duluth, which won the team title with 22 points.
 
Despite battling through moderate rain and a lot of mud, the Titans had three award-winners in the top ten. In her debut, Lehna Mitchell (Oshkosh/Oshkosh North) led the Titans with a third-place finish of 23:28. The Titans were placed two more in the top ten. Emma Boegh (Berlin/Berlin) finished eighth with 24:06, and Gwen Feitl (Wheaton, Ill./Wheaton Warrenville South) finished tenth with 24:13.
 
The Titans' fourth runner was another freshman making her debut; Ashley Groothoff (Two Rivers/Two Rivers) finished in 19th place with a time of 25:29. The final point scorer for the Titans was junior Allison VanDerWegen (Kaukauna/Kaukauna), who finished in 22nd with a time of 25:37.
 
A third freshman made her debut in the Titans top seven; Piper Johnson (Poynette/Poynette) finished in 24th place with a debut time of 25:49.
 
Josie Makurat (Fairfax, Va./Woodson) rounded out the Titans' top seven with a 25:54 for 26th place, her first cross country race since 2023. Ella Galaszewski (West Allis/Nathan Hale) was next for the Titans, finishing in 30th place with a time of 26:28.
 
Amari Siegfried (Menomonee Falls/Brookfield East) made her debut with a time of 26:37, finishing with 26:37. Anabel Mitchell (Oshkosh/Oshkosh North) was tenth for the Titans, finishing in 38th place with a time of 27:23.
 
Rylee Hucke (Johnson Creek/Johnson Creek) made her debut with a 40th place finish in a time of 27:25. Leah Modjeski (Sparta/Sparta) also made her debut, running a time of 28:06 for 44th place. Athena Soto (Whitewater/Whitewater) and Madeline Osmanski (Algonquin, Ill./Jacobs) finished 50th and 51st respectively. Soto ran 28:50 in her debut, and Osmanski ran 29:00 in her first collegiate cross country race. Annie Jesse (Lockport, Ill./Lockport Township) also made her debut for the Titans, running 29:54 for 56th place.
 
The Titans return home next week for the UW-Oshkosh Fall Classic on Friday, September 19, hosted at the brand new XC Ranch on the north side of Oshkosh. It will be the first of three times the Titans run at home this season.