Northwestern University Athletics
April Likhite To Retire From College Coaching
6/2/2015 11:35:00 PM | Women's Cross Country & Track
Likhite spent 11 years at the helm over two stints with the Wildcats
EVANSTON, Ill. -- Northwestern head women's cross country coach April Likhite will retire from collegiate coaching after 11 seasons leading the Wildcats, Vice President for Athletics and Recreation Jim Phillips announced today (June 2).
Likhite resurrected the Northwestern cross country program in 1998 following a 10-year absence, serving as head coach until leaving in 2001. She then returned in 2007 for a second stint that will come to a close with her retirement on June 30.
"April elevated Northwestern cross country not once, but twice during her career, and we will miss the tremendous spirit and energy she brought to our Athletics family each and every day," Phillips said. "She is stepping away from college coaching for the highest calling -- being a mom to her son, Cade. We are so proud and thankful for the work she has done in the lives of her student-athletes, and we wish her, her husband Craig, and her entire family nothing but the best in the future. She will always be a significant part of our Northwestern family."
"After much reflection and with a deep appreciation for the opportunities Northwestern has afforded to me, I am looking forward to beginning the next chapter of my life away from college coaching," Likhite said. "I have had a wonderful 11 years here and I want to thank Jim Phillips for his continued support. Though I will miss being an immediate part of the Northwestern community, I am very excited to be more present for my family each and every day while rooting for the Wildcats from the stands.
"Not many coaches are able to come back to finish what they started. We have not achieved all of the goals we set for ourselves, but we have made great strides as a program. I am confident that the next leader of NU cross country will continue the great momentum we have built here. I am excited to be the team's new No. 1 fan."
Likhite led Northwestern from a dormant program in 1998 to a fifth-place finish at the Big Ten Championships in just three years. In 2000, Rachel Evjen qualified individually for the NCAA Championships to make her the first qualifier in program history.
Likhite left the program in 2001 due to a family re-location, teaching physical education and coaching cross country in several school districts in Detroit's suburbs before returning in 2007. Northwestern's annual Big Ten finishes and NCAA Midwest Regional results soon began steady climbs up the standings, culminating in a fourth-place Regional finish in 2013, NU's best in over a decade that nearly qualified the 'Cats for the NCAA National Championships.
Meanwhile, Likhite was busy laying a foundation for future recruiting and competitive success by implementing a challenging spring track schedule. The strategy allowed her student-athletes to compete against many of the nation's top track teams, while also giving the Wildcats the ability to qualify for the spring NCAA track championships -- something sophomore Andrea Ostenso did in the 10,000m event in 2015.
Academically, Likhite's program consistently has ranked as one of the highest achieving teams at Northwestern, including in 2011 when a program-record 19 NU runners earned Academic All-Big Ten honors. At least five members of the cross country program have been named Big Ten Distinguished Scholars -- an honor bestowed to student-athletes with at least a 3.7 GPA for the previous academic year -- each fall since 2011.
