Lock Haven, PA. – For the second time this season, the Wheeling University Women's Cross Country team made their way to Lock Haven, Pennsylvania. This time it was on the regional stage as they competed at the 2025 NCAA DII Atlantic Regional Championships against the best teams from across the region. The Cardinals had three runners compete on the day, with two of those finishing in the top 140 of the race.
Leading the way for the Cardinals was Madison Conrad, who rounded out a strong season cracking the top 110 of the event. She would finish 107th overall, running a time of 24:05.20, missing the 24-minute mark by just five seconds. She came out of the gate strong, running the first mile in just 5:55 as she took advantage of the fats course. However, she would fall back over the next mile, running just over six minutes and kept that pace up over the next mile. She would round out the day with a nice kick, needing just three minutes to round out the night and ensure her spot in the top 110 of the field. She would finish just nine seconds off the pace of her first run at the Lock Haven Invitational, where she put together a time of 22:56.2. She was the team's leading runner in all six races this season and looks to build off her success a she heads into the off-season.
The other Cardinal to crack the top 140 of the event was Gabby Baiano, who finished 135th in the field. It was Baiano's third run at the Regional Championship field and she would finish with a time of 25:16.2. Her fastest kick would come in the final mile, where she came in under the six minute mark to move up the field. She finished strong, needing just 3:46 to finish out the run as she brought her Wheeling Cross Country career to a close. The final runner for the Cardinals was Luci Banks, who finished 163rd in the field to round out the day. She would finish with a time of 28:30.7 to round out her season. Banks has been a strong #3 runner for the Cardinals throughout the season and will continue to build off that success into her swimming and track seasons.
The Wheeling University Women's Cross Country team now heads into the off-season as they prepare to kick-off Indoor Track & Field season later this month.
