In its 2025 campaign, capped by a trip to the NCAA Division III Championship, Saint Mary’s cross country displayed consistency from veterans and newcomers alike under longtime head coach Jackie Bauters.
The Belles kicked off in Charlotte, Mich. at the Comet Invite to begin a strong season. Of the six Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association opponents, Saint Mary’s finished third, foreshadowing a fast start for Bauters’ team. The Belles were led by junior Savannah Paulson, with a 16th-place finish of 19:48.7 and junior Jordan Siminski, who finished in 18th at 19:55.2. Junior Cecilia Conrad and sophomore Allie Glendening also finished inside the top 30. Freshmen Jackie Clemente and Katelyn Huber finished 20:13.4 and 20:30.9 for 33rd and 40th, respectively, in their first collegiate races.
The Belles had a strong performance at the Grand Rapids Community College Raider Invite the following week. Saint Mary’s finished first to bring home the team victory, marking its first overall victory since 2013. Siminski once again was at the top for the Belles, finishing second overall with a time of 19:39.7 — a personal record. Siminski was named Saint Mary’s Athlete of the Week for her personal-best time, highlighting the incredible start to her junior campaign. Paulson was close behind at 19:53.9 for a third-place finish, and Conrad reigned in fourth with a time of 20:06.3. The Belles had the sixth, seventh and eighth finishers as well, with Glendening, senior Isabelle Auch and Huber, respectively.
The Belles traveled Warrenville, Ill., for the Gil Dodds Invitational on Sept. 20 and brought home an 11th-place finish on a tough course against tougher regional competition. The best production came from Paulson, who placed 51st with a 24:25 time, followed by Auch, who finished 68th with 24:57.7. Siminski and Huber collected 71st and 75th finishes, respectively. This race was followed by the Louisville Classic, a 6K race in Kentucky. Against a multitude of Division I, II, III and NAIA opponents, the Belles finished 40th. Paulson once again paced the squad with a time of 24:26.1. Conrad and Siminski followed closely behind at 24:43.9 and 24:48.9 to finish in the top group. In the 5K, freshman Megan McClain led the Belles with a 21:58.2.
The final regular season race of the year was the Oberlin Inter-Regional Rumble on Oct. 18. The junior trio led the Belles once again, with three sub-25-minute races that helped Saint Mary’s place 13th overall. Paulson finished at 24:06.5, Conrad followed with 24:30.5 and Siminski was right behind at 24:35.8. These times were season bests for all three Belles in the 6K. Clemente, Huber and George, also set collegiate best 6K times, demonstrating the improvement of the team.
In the MIAA championship in Charlotte, Mich., the Belles had one more regular-season opportunity in the cross country season. Siminski and Paulson finished 30th and 33rd, respectively, a new career best for Siminski and a season best for Paulson in the 6K. Season bests became the norm for many other Belles as Conrad, Clemente, Weber and Glendening matched this mark to help the Belles finish fifth in the conference. The Belles’ season came to a close two weeks later at the NCAA Division III Great Lakes Regional Championships in Louisville. Once again, it was Paulson, Conrad and Siminski headlining the race for the Belles. The team took home a 19th-place finish in the final race of the season.
In a successful and improvement-filled season, Saint Mary’s reached new levels and won an important race. It now looks to build on the foundation of a strong freshman group and a trio of elite juniors for the 2026 season.
