Northwestern University Athletics
Northwestern
Big Ten Championships
Wildcats Rise At 2021 Big Ten Championships
1/31/2021 3:42:00 PM | Women's Cross Country & Track
SHELBYVILLE, Ind. – The 2021 Big Ten Cross Country Championships were marked by significant strides for Northwestern, with individual breakthroughs by several Wildcats leading to an outstanding team performance.
Northwestern took home seventh in the competition won by Michigan State, equaling the program's best finish since 2001. The Top-7 finish was six spots higher than the team's last trip to the Big Ten Championships (2019, due to the COVID-19 pandemic), and a combined team time of 1:49:43 was a 34-second improvement over '19.
"I couldn't be more proud of the team's collective effort, not just today but over the last 10 months as our program has taken a major step forward," said head coach Jill Miller. "Today's result reflects a giant body of work they have put in, physically and mentally. Today's race is is surely something for the entire team to be proud of, and is just another step in the building excitement about our future."
Junior Rachel McCardell crossed the finish line first for the 'Cats, coming in at 18th with a personal best of 21:05.5. From 1,000 meters on, she passed 13 runners while leading the team to better its standing from 13th in 2019. The Top-18 individual placing also is a leap forward for McCardell, who finished 63rd in 2018 and 86th in 2019.
Sophomore Kalea Bartolotto was close behind in 24th, logging a best time at 21:14.7. As a first-year in 2019, Bartolotto finished 93rd at the conference meet while averaging 6:01-mile pace. On Saturday, she averaged 5:41-mile pace through the course in Shelbyville.
In just her second 6K race ever, sophomore Olivia Verbeke shattered her previous personal best by finishing 51st in 21:54—more than three minutes faster than her 6K debut at the 2019 Ohio State Buckeye Preview.
First-year Katherine Hessler contributed in a big way for the 'Cats by finishing 64th in her collegiate cross-country debut. From 3,000 meters, Hessler passed 20 competitors to score as the team's fourth runner across the line. Sophomore Kayla Fortino rounded out the team score by placing 87th in her first 6K cross-country race ever.
Northwestern will kick off the indoor track season on Saturday, February 6, at the Hoosier Hills Invitational in Bloomington, Indiana.
2021 Big Ten Cross Country Championships (6000M)
Individual Results:
18: Rachel McCardell, 21:05.5
24: Kalea Bartolotto, 21:14.7
51: Olivia Verbeke, 21:54.0
64: Katie Hessler, 22:12.8
87: Kayla Fortino, 23:17.2
93: Emily Casaclang, 23:38.6
95: Addy Vettel, 23:50.8
98: Hannah Hall, 24:00.9
101: Sara McCoy, 24:32.8
Full Results
••••••
Be the first to know what's going on with the 'Cats -- Follow @NU_Sports on Twitter, become a fan of Northwestern Athletics on Facebook, check us out on Instagram, visit our Social Media page and download our mobile app from the Apple Store and Google Play! To get involved with the #B1GCats, become a season-ticket holder or join the Wildcat Fund!
