Wildcats Set To Welcome Five Newcomers For 2015-16 Campaign
5/19/2015 12:06:00 AM | Women's Cross Country & Track
Coast-to-coast class chooses Northwestern to continue academic and athletic careers
EVANSTON, Ill. -- Northwestern cross country will welcome five talented runners to the team this fall, head coach April Likhite announced on Monday. The new Wildcats quintet represent a national recruiting class, coming to Evanston from Illinois, Ohio, Michigan, New Jersey and California.
"We are very excited to announce our incoming class, and look forward to welcoming them to campus this summer," said head coach April Likhite. "Each individual has the potential to grow into an outstanding contributor within our developing program. Most importantly, I am confident we are getting hard working and committed individuals who have bought into our vision for Northwestern Cross Country."
Hannah Anderson (Fair Haven, N.J./Rumson-Fair Haven H.S.) earned four varsity letters in cross country, winter track and spring track during her high school career. The 2011 Shore Conference Rookie of the Year took home All-Conference and All-Group laurels in cross country, and earned Star Ledger All-Monmouth recognition for her performance in the 3200m on the track. Anderson served as the president of her school's National Arts Honor Society, and vice-president of the National Honor Society, and her anticipated major at Northwestern is Journalism.
Megan Beach (Palatine, Ill./Palatine H.S.) earned All-Conference honors in cross country and was the Nike Northside/Southside champion as a senior. The Pirates cross country team finished second in Illinois, the first team in state history to have all seven participants finish under 18:00, while on the track she captured the MSL Indoor 3200m title. A National Honor Society student, her anticipated major at Northwestern is Journalism, and her sister, Jaclyn, is a graduate student in the University's School of Education & Social Policy.
Grace Kelly (Cincinnati, Ohio/Ursuline Academy) earned four varsity letters in both cross country and track & field for the Lions, receiving First Team All-League honors three times in each during her career. The two-time Ursuline Student-Athlete of the Year and Co-Valedictorian owns the school record in the 3200m, and was part of a record-setting 4x800m relay. Kelly was a Cincinnati Enquirer Cross Country All-Star and also earned Academic All-State laurels in Ohio. A National Honor Society student, her anticipated major at Northwestern is Biomedical Engineering/Pre-Med.
Ashley Ko (Traverse City, Mich./Traverse City Central H.S.) is a three-time All-Region and two-time All-State cross country runner for the Trojans. She took home Team MVP honors twice in cross country and once in track & field in a decorated scholastic career that included two conference championships and a Top-10 finish at the Michigan Division 1 Cross Country Championships during her senior season. A National Honor Society student, Ko served as class president as both a junior and senior at Traverse City Central, and her anticipated major at Northwestern is Psychology.
Mary Orders (Moraga, Calif./Campolindo H.S.) was a three-time All-League cross country runner for the Cougars, and helped lead a squad that took home North Coast Section championships in 2011, 2013 and 2014, and a California Division 3 State Championship during her junior campaign. She earned four varsity letters in both cross country and track at Campolindo High School, and posted a career-best 11th place finish at the California State Cross Country Championships as a senior. Her anticipated major at Northwestern is Journalism.
