<body><div><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=33WnU1_1Gofzt5100" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=33WnU1_1Gofzt5100" width="300" height="369" ><figcaption>Ingrid Norquist’s senior photo. Courtesy of Mac Athletics.</figcaption></figure>On Halloween Saturday in Northfield, Minn., Macalester’s own women’s cross country runner Ingrid Norquist ’27 dominated a stacked Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) field to secure first place with a time of 21:48.6 over 6K.Norquist’s win helped propel Macalester’s women’s team to a historic third-place finish with a score of 74 points at the MIAC Cross Country Championships. Kate Fox ’28, Aubrey Jensen ’29, Lucia Williams ’30 and Samatha Ellis ’27 additionally topped the field, tallying points for Macalester’s podium finish.This result is the Scots’ best of the 21st century, having not climbed to the conference podium since 1999.Norquist took early control of the race and kept it, leading through 1000m, 3K, 5K and ultimately finishing a stunning 36.3 seconds ahead of the second-place finisher.For Norquist, crossing the finish line was both a moment of joy and relief.“Being able to see [the finish line] was really nice because sometimes it [feels] like it’s never gonna come,” Norquist said. “That was really awesome, coming into the finishing shoot and seeing faces that I recognized and voices that I could recognize. It was really encouraging.”Norquist’s winning conquest, however, is not new. Over the course of the 2026 season, she has claimed the second through fifth fastest rankings in the women’s 6K in school history.These wins stand out in Macalester’s program history; Norquist is the first women’s runner to win the MIAC Cross Country Tournament in over 10 years since Kimber Meyer ’17 won in 2015. They join a list of only three other women’s runners to earn this achievement, including Meyer, Koby Hagen ’06, who took the 2003 title, and Julia Kirtland ’87, who three-peated in 1984, 1985 and 1986.As a team, the Scots shared the excitement for Norquist’s accomplishment.“The win is just so much more than deserved,” teammate Anna Lendrum Fort ’29 said.Kicking off the season, Norquist claimed the top spot at Northfield’s St. Olaf Ole Opener 5K in 18:34.7. Throughout the season, they have logged three other wins across 5 competitions and 2 top-place finishes. On Sept. 18, she bested all of the Saint Benedict College Bennies to win the Toni St. Pierre Invitational in St. Joseph, Minn.At Carleton College’s Oct. 3 Running of the Cows race, she mooved past the competition to mark a 10th place finish in 21:44.3 to moor the second-fastest women’s 6K run in program history. At the Augustana College Interregional Invitational in Rock Island, Ill., the Scots took on a crowd of talented D-III competition from across the country, where Norquist led the pack of 309 runners with a 23rd-place finish in 21:47.7.With each race, Norquist and the team employ strategies to navigate varied terrain and experiences.“The nature of cross country is that the terrain is kind of crazy, and one meet can be pancake flat, and another one can be rolling hills, and they offer different challenges,” Norquist said. “Cross country is a really mental sport … [the race] is only 20-25 minutes. At the moment it [feels] like ‘oh my gosh I can’t do this. But I think reminding ourselves that everyone’s going through the same painful experience right now, and that it’s temporary [helps].”“[We] also [do] a lot of reframes like doing it for the team, or every teammate is in this and experiencing the similar sensation,” Norquist said.Clearly, Norquist is a force to be reckoned with, but with that dominance comes tremendous effort. Norquist walked onto the team in their sophomore year and now seeks to cultivate the same welcoming environment that drew her in.“I was witness to how awesome the team was and how supportive the group of women and the larger team was,” Norquist said. “Hopefully, continuing that legacy of creating a positive team culture and supporting people and pursuing their running goals, but also just knowing that they’re welcome and supported on the team.”“It’s really cool watching the trajectory she’s had over the past few years,” Lendrum Fort said. “She brings such a positive vibe to the team.”Norquist’s speed earned her an All-Conference distinction. She shares this honor with Kate Fox ’27, who placed 8th with a time of 22:41.7.Several other runners earned AllConference honorable mentions, including Aubrey Jensen ’29, who finished 16th with a time of 23:17.9, Lucia Williams ’30, who ended up 25th in 23:27.3 and Samantha Ellis ’27, who finished right behind her in 26th place at 23:35.0.Part of the season’s success came down to the women’s teams’ support and camaraderie. While each race represents a chance for runners to put their hard work on display, Norquist also hopes to lower the pressure.Last year, Norquist earned a bid to compete at the Division III National Championships. Among the top D-III runners in the nation, Norquist led Macalester’s contingent alongside Kate Fox ’27 to 81st and 107th place, respectively, in a 290-woman field.“[During warmups], after the third stride, we do the gigolo, which is a chant. All the senior women will lead the chant, and it’s basically just jumping up and down and jumping in a circle and spinning around.” Norquist said. “That’s a good way to get loose and remind yourself that it’s not so serious.”Some of the Scots are heading to the NCAA North Region Meet at St. Olaf College on Saturday, Nov. 14, where they will have the chance to punch a ticket to D-III Nationals at Carleton College on Nov. 21.</div></body>

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On Halloween Saturday in Northfield, Minn., Macalester’s own women’s cross country runner Ingrid Norquist ’27 dominated a stacked Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) field to secure first place with a time of 21:48.6 over 6K. Norquist’s win helped propel Macalester’s women’s team to a historic third-place finish...

Ingrid Norquist ’27: MIAC champion

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On Halloween Saturday in Northfield, Minn., Macalester’s own women’s cross country runner Ingrid Norquist ’27 dominated a stacked Minnesota Intercollegiate

Ingrid Norquist ’27: MIAC champion

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