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Megan Bakke, Platte River Rumble

Bakke Earns All-Conference as Women's Cross Country Takes Seventh

11/1/2025 3:30:00 PM

DUBUQUE, Iowa (Nov. 1, 2025) - Buena Vista junior Megan Bakke placed 14th overall and earned all-conference recognition to help lead the Buena Vista women's cross country team to a seventh place overall finish on Saturday at the 2025 A-R-C Championships hosted by Loras College at the Dubuque Soccer Complex.

The top-20 overall finishers earn all-conference honors and Bakke crossed in a personal best time and a new school record mark of 22:47 which was 20 seconds back of the top-10. She is the first Beaver runner since Qiana Roderick (9th place) in 2020 to earn all-conference. Her time breaks the previous school record time of 22:53 held by Kelly McClure since 2002.

Senior Karley Ruiz-Genovese was next to cross for BVU with a personal best time of 23:56.6 as junior Takara Conley (24:09.7) and freshman Lillian Dahlhauser (24:11.1) right behind in 50th and 52nd respectively. Kenadie Thiner and Leah Becker rounded out the BVU line-up with both runners also turning in personal best times.

A total of 135 runners finished the race which was won by Loras College's Keelee Leitzen in 21:24.1, just six seconds ahead of Central College's Peyton Steffen.

No. 21-ranked Wartburg College (31 points) held off No. 27-ranked Central College (43 points) in the team race. Loras College was third with 73 points.

Buena Vista finished with 177 points which is the program's lowest championship total since it placed fifth with 129 points back in 2020.

Next up for the Beavers will be the NCAA DIII Lower Midwest Regional Championships on Saturday, Nov. 15, in Waverly, Iowa, and hosted by Wartburg College. The race is set to begin at 12 p.m.

Megan Bakke, A-R-C cross country championship
Megan Bakke at the American Rivers Conference cross country championships (photo by Dr. Brian Lenzmeier)
All-Conference selections, A-R-C cross country championship
Megan Bakke, fourth from left in back, with the other American Rivers Conference selections (A-R-C photo)