On Saturday the NIU cross-country team left the Wisconsin-Parkside Invitational by finishing in second place.

Despite the cold temperatures Alicja Czajka (18:38) and Laura Dunn (18:53) led the Huskies. Czajka finished sixth overall and Dunn ninth.

The team earned 73 points, improving from the 166 points they accumulated last season at the same invite.

Sophomore team captain Bonnie Miller was the third Huskie to finish, as she placed 13th overall. She improved her time and gained a personal record with her 19:18 finish.

Renee Kleckner and Christina Nieto had finishes of 19:34 and 19:49. Michelle Rhoden came in three seconds after Nieto with a time of 19:52.

With a knee injury Kim Brokhof still managed to finish with a time of 20:22. Jen Braser, who is still out from earlier in the year with a broken sesamoid bone, will sit out the rest of the season.

“This was a great meet for us,” coach Shantel Twiggs said. “We defeated some real good Division I competition, and are really looking forward to the MAC Championships in a couple weeks.”

This is the third meet in which the Huskies have finished in the top three overall. The girls have yet to place lower than fifth this season.

The Huskies will compete at Miami (Ohio) in Oxford, Ohio, at the MAC Championships Nov. 2.

“We are so much better this year,” Bonnie Miller said. “We run for each other, and are hoping for a top 10 finish at the MAC Championships.”