Northwestern University Athletics
Saturday, November 20
Tallahassee, Fla
9:20 a.m. CT
Northwestern
vs
NCAA Championships
McCardell Makes NCAA Championship Debut
11/21/2021 7:53:00 AM | Women's Cross Country & Track
TALLAHASSE — In her debut at the NCAA Cross-Country Championships, Rachel McCardell ended a breakthrough season by placing 82nd among the nation's fastest distance runners.
On Saturday in Tallahassee, Florida, McCardell covered the 6,000-meter race at Apalachee Regional Park in 20:24.
The new championship course, which Florida State head coach Bob Braman calls a "racetrack through the woods" provided a thrilling fast pace for the 250 finishers this weekend.
McCardell blazed through the first major split at 1,170 meters in 3:47, which put her in 28th place. When the leaders brought the field through the first mile in 5:15, McCardell settled into a more comfortable pace for herself and battled for position over the last 3,000 meters. From 5,000 meters (16:59) on, McCardell passed nine runners on her way to the finish line.
The junior from Bloomfield Village, Michigan is the first Northwestern runner to compete at the championship since Aubrey Roberts represented the 'Cats in 2018. This year, some programs benefited from the extra year of eligibility granted to NCAA student-athletes because of the pandemic, which showed with unprecedented depth at the meet.
"This was one of the deepest fields I can recall at an NCAA championship and Rachel raced with extreme toughness out there today," head coach Jill Miller said. Including McCardell, Miller has coached 50 NCAA Cross-Country Championship qualifiers since 2012.
"The pace was fast from the start and just never let up. Along with our team, Rachel has grown tremendously and I am so proud, not just of what was accomplished this year, but of the physical and mental strength exhibited over the course of this season," she said.
McCardell's performance ends her best season to date. On November 12, she finished third and collected All-Region honors at the Midwest Regional Championships, improving on her 36th-place showing at the meet in 2019. In October, she placed fifth and collected All-Big Ten honors at the Big Ten Cross-Country Championships.
On Saturday in Tallahassee, Florida, McCardell covered the 6,000-meter race at Apalachee Regional Park in 20:24.
The new championship course, which Florida State head coach Bob Braman calls a "racetrack through the woods" provided a thrilling fast pace for the 250 finishers this weekend.
McCardell blazed through the first major split at 1,170 meters in 3:47, which put her in 28th place. When the leaders brought the field through the first mile in 5:15, McCardell settled into a more comfortable pace for herself and battled for position over the last 3,000 meters. From 5,000 meters (16:59) on, McCardell passed nine runners on her way to the finish line.
The junior from Bloomfield Village, Michigan is the first Northwestern runner to compete at the championship since Aubrey Roberts represented the 'Cats in 2018. This year, some programs benefited from the extra year of eligibility granted to NCAA student-athletes because of the pandemic, which showed with unprecedented depth at the meet.
"This was one of the deepest fields I can recall at an NCAA championship and Rachel raced with extreme toughness out there today," head coach Jill Miller said. Including McCardell, Miller has coached 50 NCAA Cross-Country Championship qualifiers since 2012.
"The pace was fast from the start and just never let up. Along with our team, Rachel has grown tremendously and I am so proud, not just of what was accomplished this year, but of the physical and mental strength exhibited over the course of this season," she said.
McCardell's performance ends her best season to date. On November 12, she finished third and collected All-Region honors at the Midwest Regional Championships, improving on her 36th-place showing at the meet in 2019. In October, she placed fifth and collected All-Big Ten honors at the Big Ten Cross-Country Championships.
Players Mentioned
/ Women's Cross Country & Track
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