Roberts Earns First-Team All-Big Ten Honors at B1G Championships

10/29/2017 6:07:00 PM | Women's Cross Country & Track

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – Aubrey Roberts finished sixth at the Big Ten Championships in Bloomington, Indiana on Sunday, earning First Team All-Big Ten Honors while Northwestern finished eighth overall.

Roberts ran a 20:26.3 in the 6K on the Indiana University Championship Cross Country Course, which made her only the second Wildcat ever to make the First-Team All-Big Ten. Rachel Evjen was the first in program history to do so in 2001, when she finished fifth at the event.

"Aubrey Roberts' sixth place finish today was fantastic for the team," head coach 'A Havahla Haynes said. "Aubrey has been running really well this season and to be a Big Ten First Team is no easy feat. As she is facing multiple All-Americans in cross country & track, she is in good company!"

Northwestern's eighth place finish improved one spot from last year's conference championships held in Minnesota. The result was the program's best at the event since 2012, when the 'Cats finished seventh.

Sophomore Sarah Nicholson posted a sub 22-minute time at the race with a 21:17.3, good for 31st place. Isabel Seidel joined her in that category with a 21:49.7. Haley Albers ran a 22:10.6 while Sara Coffey, Hannah Tobin, Andrea Ostenso and Amanda Davis all finished within seven spots of each other in the standings.

"The goal of the race today was to run with your pack, and improve individual placement over the last 2 kilometers," Coach Haynes said. "The women managed the pack through 4k, and when the moves happened they responded well. This weekend the team faced adversity as every team does within a season due to sickness, but those who had been outside of the scoring five stepped up and filled in during a time of need."

Every Wildcat that raced in the Big Ten Championships last year (Roberts, Nicholson, Seidel, Albers and Ostenso), improved on their finish in this year's iteration, with each runner finishing at least 50 seconds better than last year's time and on average, one minute and 12 seconds better.

Chicago's Big Ten Team is back in action in two weeks at the NCAA Regionals hosted by Iowa State in Ames, Iowa on Nov. 10. The Wildcats are ranked No. 4 in the Midwest region, and will face fellow Big Ten foe, Minnesota, ranked No. 1 in the region, for the second straight event.

Big Ten Championships Results

6. Aubrey Roberts, 20:26.3
31. Sarah Nicholson, 21:17.3
58. Isabel Seidel, 21:49.7
70. Haley Albers, 22:10.6
79. Sara Coffey, 22:26.3
82. Hannah Tobin, 22:28.9
83. Andrea Ostenso, 22:32.0
86. Amanda Davis, 22:38.7
102. Kelly O'Brien, 23:11.4

*Top five finishers count towards score.

Teams Finishes, Points

1. Michigan, 55
2. Minnesota, 86
3. Wisconsin, 100
4. Penn State, 107
5. Michigan State, 119
6. Ohio State, 149
7. Indiana, 156
8. Northwestern, 227
9. Purdue, 232
10. Maryland, 257
11. Iowa, 303
12. Nebraska, 336
13. Illinois, 371
14. Rutgers, 427