In its first season being fully sanctioned since 1988, Northwestern competed at the Big Ten Indoor Championships in Indianapolis from February 26 to 28, finishing 13th in the final team standings.
The Wildcats had four podium results and two runners achieving personal bests.
NU began the meet Thursday with a fourth-place finish in the distance medley relay. The team of redshirt junior Skye Ellis, redshirt freshman Cary Drake, graduate student Anna Hightower and freshman Olivia Capala ran a season-best 10:58.21.
Junior Ava Criniti and senior Maddy Whitman both scored team points in the 5,000-meter final run. Criniti’s 15:58.40 put her in sixth place, while Whitman placed seventh with a personal-best 16:03.35. Sophomore Jackie Holman finished 14th, and senior Mia Mraz finished 31st. They ran times of 16:17.07 and 16:58.21, respectively.
On Friday, Ellis shaved two seconds off her personal best and ran a program second-best in the one-mile heat. Her 4:38.16 put her in third place and qualified her for the final on Saturday. Drake also clocked a personal best, finishing 15th with a 4:46.80.
When the meet continued Saturday, Ellis placed fourth in the mile final, clocking a 4:40.71.
Two ’Cats finished in the top ten of the 3,000-meter final — senior Anna Hightower and sophomore Jackie Holman. Hightower ran a 9:16.72, putting her in ninth, and Holman finished 10th with a 9:17.52. Criniti followed not far behind, finishing 12th with a 9:18.50 run.
The team earned a total of 15 points across events, finishing 13th out of the 18 teams. Oregon took the women’s title, finishing with a score of 101.
NU will return to action at the start of the outdoor track season in late March.
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