With the first month of the season wrapped up, the UW-Whitewater Women’s Cross Country team has come out strong and are looking to add to their success going forward. In the first meet of the season, the Warhawks took home second place at the UW-River Falls Invitational, Sept. 8, followed by an impressive first place showing in front of many familiar faces at Whitewater’s own Tom Hoffman Invitational, Sept. 16, with junior Abbey Wedwick leading the way for the women.
Wedwick placed fourth overall in the 6k, posting a time of 24:33.7. Her efforts would earn her UW-Whitewater’s Kwik Trip Athlete of the Week for Women’s Cross Country for the week of Sept. 11-17.
Coming in as a new face for the Warhawks, Wedwick is a transfer from UW-La Crosse where she spent the past four years. She now arrives in Whitewater as a graduate student looking to lead the purple and white along the way.
Q: What are some team goals you all have for the season?
A: I think it would be cool if we could get third at conference. I think last year they were fifth, but we have a pretty strong group of freshmen as well as some transfers. I think that’d be a nice, solid goal for us.
Q: What are some steps you’re taking to be a leader for the team?
A: I think it’s really important to lead by example—modeling what you need to do in order to be successful, modeling the kind of person you should be for yourself, and for others.
Q: What does being a Warhawk mean to you?
A: I’m a new Warhawk myself, but so far what it means to me, if I were to say it in one word—community. There’s a really good group of people here, on the team, and the campus in general. I’m really happy here so far.
Despite a tough eighth place finish in their most recent meet at the UW-Eau Claire Blugold Invitational, Friday Sept. 29, the Warhawks will look to make a statement Saturday, Oct. 14 at noon as their next meet takes place at the Augustana Interregional Invitation in Rock Island, Illinois.
Wedwick will look to use her years of experience to rally the team together and finish the regular season strong as the WIAC Cross Country Championships are less than a month away.
