Looking to carry over momentum from one of the top seasons in program history, No. 11 Northwestern cross country kicks off its 2026 campaign on Friday morning at the Badger Classic in Madison, Wis.
Action in the women’s 6k race is slated to begin at 10 a.m. CT at the University of Wisconsin’s Thomas Zimmer Championship Cross Country Course. Live results can be accessed at the link above.
Friday will serve as the Wildcats’ first of three meets on the Badgers’ home turf, with Northwestern slated to return north for the Nuttycombe Invitational (Oct. 9) and the Big Ten Conference Championships (Oct. 30).
Northwestern enters the regular season ranked in both the national and regional preseason rankings from the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA). The Wildcats, who climbed to a program-best No. 8 ranking last season, debuted at No. 11 in the national poll, while checking in at No. 2 in the Midwest Region.
After piloting the ‘Cats to the program’s top NCAA Championships finish of the modern era (18th) last season, reigning USTFCCCA Midwest Region Coach of the Year Jill Miller returns a trio of experienced veterans in Skye Ellis, Jackie Holman, and Ava Criniti. Ellis (16th) and Holman (17th) both earned top-20 finishes at last season’s NCAA Midwest Regional en route to earning USTFCCCA All-Region honors, while Criniti brought home Second Team All-Big Ten Conference distinction following a 14th-place finish at the Big Ten Conference Championships.
Along with a group of 11 first-years, Miller also added three Division I transfers, a trio that includes Katie Clute, Sophie Magson, and Eliza Nicholson.
Following the Badger Classic, Northwestern will idle for just over two weeks until it travels to Terre Haute, Ind. for the John McNichols Invitational on Saturday, September 19.