Portage County Gazette

University of Wisconsin-La Crosse senior Hannah Beilke, an Amherst Junction native and former Stevens Point Area Senior High School (SPASH) standout, was named the 2018 Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (WIAC) Women’s Cross Country Athlete of the Year.

Beilke earned NCAA Division III All-American honors this season after she placed 18th at the NCAA Division III Championships at Lake Breeze Golf Course in Winneconne Nov. 17.

A biology education and broad field science major, Beilke was a four-year contributor for La Crosse, and competed at the NCAA Championships three times, as she finished 189th as a freshman and 225th as a junior.

She was an Honorable Mention All-WIAC selection as a junior after she finished 19th at the WIAC Championships, and went on to take 50th at the Midwest Regional, before she had a breakout senior season.

This fall, Beilke won the UW-Platteville Gender Equity Invitational at Cole Acres Golf Course in Cuba City Sept. 8, and the UW-La Crosse Tori Neubauer Invitational at Ettrick Golf Club Oct. 13 during the regular season.

At the WIAC Championships at Whitetail Golf Course in Colfax Oct. 27, Beilke claimed the Individual Title in 21:40.2.

She also finished third overall at the Midwest Regional at Whitetail Golf Course in Colfax Nov. 10, to earn All-Midwest Region honors and help La Crosse place third, as the team went on to receive an at-large bid to the NCAA Championships.

There, Beilke placed 18th overall in 21:38.7 to earn All-American honors and lead La Crosse to a ninth-place finish in the team standings.

In high school, Beilke was a four-time letterwinner in three sports: for the SPASH girls cross country and track and field teams, and the Point-Rapids Red Panthers girls hockey team. She competed at the WIAA Division 1 Cross Country State Meet three times and helped the Panthers finish as the 2014 State Runner-up as a senior, when she was also a WIAA Scholar Athlete.

Beilke is set to compete in distance events as a senior for the La Crosse women’s track and field team, which opens the indoor season at the UW-Stout Open Jan. 20.