Roberts Leads Wildcats To Illini Challenge Win In Collegiate Debut

9/2/2016 9:16:00 PM | Women's Cross Country & Track

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Freshman Aubrey Roberts made an instant impact for the Wildcats, winning Friday's 2016 Illini Challenge with classmate Sarah Nicholson right behind her to lead Northwestern to a team win to open the 2016 campaign.

2016 Illini Challenge - FINAL RESULTS

In her collegiate debut, Roberts won the Challenge with a time of 17:37.3 (5:42.1 average mile), with classmate Sarah Nicholson right on her heels in second at 17:39.3 (5:42.8), more than 15-seconds ahead of the third-place finisher.

A native of Eau Claire, Wisconsin, Roberts was a four-time Big Rivers Conference champion at Memorial High School, a four-time All-State honoree and won the 2015 Wisconsin State Championship by 38-seconds as a senior.

Rookie Kelly O'Brien finished eighth in 18:20.2 (5:56.1), followed immediately by junior Isabel Seidel at 18:29.9 (5:59.2). Juniors Sara Coffey in 16^th (18:53.5), Brooke Pigneri in 17^th (18:56.9) and Haley Albers in 20^th (19:02.4) rounded out the scoring seven for the Wildcats.

The tightly packed times were all part of the plan for head coach 'AHavahla Haynes.

"We arrived only 40 minutes before the race due to traffic, but the women didn't allow it to impact their preparation or performance. We went out with the intention to be in control of five different groups within the race. They were to set pace through the first mile and stick together until the last 1,000 meters. Everyone held to their group as desired, and our newcomers were elite at the top of the field."

Northwestern won the 2016 Illini Challenge with a score of 36, followed by Northern Illinois with 41 and the host Illinois at 45.

The Wildcats next competition will be in two weeks in Peoria, Illinois, when they take part in the Bradley Intercollegiate at 5 p.m. CT on Sept. 16.