Having run only two meets in a Northwestern uniform, freshman Audrey Huth is still new to the college cross country scene.
Even before she logged a mile on campus, though, her running resumé was pretty full.
As a four-time all-state runner in high school, the Shelby, Mich. native was expected to produce early in her time with the Wildcats.
“She’s just a very talented runner,” coach April Likhite said. “We knew it from the time we started recruiting her. She’s just very talented, and extremely determined. We were very happy when she chose to come here.”
Huth has already established herself as one of the team’s top runners. In her first meet, the Huskies Open, Huth was the second NU runner to finish.
At last weekend’s Roy Griak Invitational, which featured some of the top teams in the nation, Huth was the first Wildcat across the line with her 36th place finish.
Huth said she put in a lot of miles over the summer, and although that work has helped her make a quick transition to the collegiate level, she still has room for improvement.
“We put a lot of time and training in, and I definitely think I’m going to see it pay off, hopefully soon,” Huth said. “Even though I’ve had some success so far, I definitely have a lot I want to build on.”
Huth is part of a freshman class that shows the team’s potential for growth throughout the season. Fellow freshman Allie Mayer was the squad’s top finisher in NU’s first two meets of the year. Other freshmen, including Lauren Neuschel and Janelle Li-A-Ping, have also contributed to the Wildcats.
“We’re very excited about our entire freshmen class this year,” Likhite said. “Knowing that they could come in and contribute was a big help for us.”
Huth and her classmates will be helping to lead the Cats as the team travels down the road Saturday to the Sean Earl Lakefront Invitational at Loyola.
NU won the team title at last year’s Lakefront Invitational, and the team is looking to repeat as champions this season. The Cats will be facing some tough competition, including from the host Ramblers, who beat the Cats by eight points at the season-opening DePaul Early Bird Invitational.
Despite that early season loss, NU still hopes to bring home the crown once again.
“The goal for our team is we want to win it,” Huth said. “We’re on the right path to accomplishing that.”
Likhite said that Loyola’s course should be a good measuring stick for NU’s fitness.
The coach said she is also excited to run at Loyola because of its proximity to NU. The Cats do not have a home meet this season, so this weekend is as close as the team will get to competing on its home turf.
The team hopes to see some fans clad in purple lining the course.
“We’re trying to get as many fans out there as we can,” Likhite said. “We would love to have the support of the student body.”
