Northwestern University Athletics
Wildcats Kick Off Spring Track Schedule Friday In Bloomington
1/22/2015 12:00:00 AM | Women's Cross Country & Track
Jan. 22, 2015
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Northwestern cross country will kick off their spring indoor track schedule this Friday, Jan. 23, at The Gladstein Invitational hosted by Indiana University. Ten Wildcats will compete in Bloomington on Friday night, spread over four events during the two-day meet.
"The indoor and outdoor seasons are critical opportunities for our runners to reach the next level in their training regimens and be in a position to be successful in the fall," said head coach April Likhite. "We've been able to put together the most competitive track season in recent memory for our program, especially with trips to the Alabama Relays, the Stanford Invite/San Francisco Distance Carnival and the Drake Relays. Our girls are looking forward to the opportunity to test themselves against the best in the country week in and week out."
The indoor season opener will be the first competitive opportunity for Northwestern sophomores Andrea Ostenso and Jena Pianin since earning All-Midwest Region honors at the NCAA Midwest Regional Championships in November. On Nov. 14 at Bradley University Ostenso shattered her previous 6K personal best by crossing in 20:42, while Pianin was just off her hip in 20:43.4.
Ostenso will be joined in Friday's 5,000m race by Elena Barham, Ellen Schmitz and Mallory Abel and Pianin will be the lone Wildcat in the 3,000m Invitational. Allison Jacobsen, Megan O'Brien, Isabel Siedel and Renee Wellman will be competing in the 3,000m event, while Rachel Weathered will run the One-Mile Invitiational.
The Wildcats will be competing against a field that includes the host Hoosiers, local rival Loyola, reigning MAC Indoor Track & Field Champions Kent State and the Butler Bulldogs.
The Gladstein is just the start of the most competitive spring track schedule in Wildcats history. In two weeks Northwestern will join many of the top programs from around the country at the annual Meyo Invitational hosted by Notre Dame on Feb. 6-7.
The 'Cats are also slated for a trip to the Grand Valley State Invite (Feb. 13-14) before a final weekend of indoor competition with representatives at both Notre Dame's Alex Wilson Invite and the Margaret Bradley Invitational in Chicago on Feb. 22.
Following spring break, Northwestern will begin the outdoor season at the Alabama Relays on Friday and Saturday, March 20-21. From there, the 'Cats will set their sights on a West Coast trip to both the prestigious Stanford Invitational and the San Francisco Distance Carnival hosted at San Francisco State's Cox Stadium. Last year, the event attracted nearly 1,300 runners from more than 150 schools around the country.
The 'Cats also will make trips to the Illini Twilight and Chicagoland D-I Invitational meets before competing at the prestigious Drake Relays April 23-25 in Des Moines. Northwestern is then slated to complete the spring at the Dr. Keeler Invite in Naperville May 7-8.
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