ST. PAUL, Minn. – The No. 29-ranked St. Olaf College women's cross country team will look to defend its title at the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) Cross Country Championships on Saturday at Highland Golf Course.

Coming off its 11th team title a year ago, the Oles will run in the 12-team field in the women's six-kilometer race starting at 12 p.m. in St. Paul. St. Olaf has finished in the top three at the meet in 14 consecutive seasons.

There is no admission fee to attend the MIAC Cross Country Championships and live results will provided by Wayzata Results. Parking is available on both sides of Montreal Avenue, Edgecumbe Road, and the neighborhoods around the golf courses. Bicycles and non-service animals are strictly prohibited at the course.

St. Olaf will enter the meet as one of two nationally-ranked teams in the field after checking in at No. 29 in the most recent NCAA Division III Men's and Women's Cross Country National Coaches' Polls, as released on Oct. 22. Carleton College was ranked No. 11 in the latest balloting.

Six Oles who are entered in the meet have earned All-MIAC or Honorable Mention All-MIAC honors at least once in their careers, led by senior Lauren Walda, who is a three-time all-conference honoree. Walda has placed third (2024), fifth (2023), and 10th (2022) in her three appearances at the MIAC Championships.

Senior Grace Moeller has claimed back-to-back All-MIAC accolades after finishing 12th (2024) and 15th (2023) in the last two seasons, following an honorable-mention result (16th) as a first year in 2022. Senior Ella Landis was seventh last season to claim All-MIAC honors after an honorable-mention 19th-place showing in 2023.

Senior Isabel Wyatt took 10th last season for her first All-MIAC accolade in cross country, while senior Molly Kate McCloskey (20th) and sophomore Abi Lindqust (22nd) were both among the honorable-mention spots a year ago.

As a team, St. Olaf's 11 MIAC team titles (1993-95, 1998-02, 2010, 2021, 2024) rank second among current conference members, two behind Carleton's total of 13. The two Northfield schools have combined to win each of the last seven conference championships.