After a race in which nearly half the Northwestern cross-country team set personal records, sophomore Lexie Goldsmith said the team wasn’t quite satisfied.
“We’re still hungry for more,” Goldsmith said.
That insatiable appetite for success showed last Friday as the Wildcats finished 31st overall at the Wisconsin Adidas Invitational. Of the 44 teams that ran, 19 were ranked nationally in the top 30. NU finished ahead of fellow Big Ten competitors Ohio State, Nebraska, Purdue and Illinois.
Junior Audrey Huth was the first Cats runner to finish the 6K event, clocking in with a time of 20:37, only two seconds longer than the NU 6K record, which is held by none other than Huth herself. She was able to accomplish both of her previously stated goals by turning in a sub 20:45 time and finishing in the top 35 at 22nd.
“This race was a huge stepping stone for where we are going this season and the direction that the program is heading in,” Huth said. “We haven’t beaten that many Big Ten teams in a long time so we feel pretty confident now.”
Red was the key color coming into the race, according to Huth, and the Cats were able to stay within shouting distance of Wisconsin (21st) and Indiana (29th) while beating other targeted teams such as Kansas (34th) and Ohio State (38th).
Goldsmith also attributed the week off prior to the meet as a reason why they were able to perform so well.
“It definitely helped,” Goldsmith said. “We got some good workouts in, which boosts your confidence and tells us that we are ready to roll.”
The squad has its next meet this Friday at the Illini Open in Champaign, Ill., which should serve as a tune-up for the Big Ten Championship the week after.
