Surging Wildcats Turn Attention To NCAA Midwest Regional

EVANSTON, Ill. (November 12, 2026) – Coming off a historic showing at the Big Ten Conference Championships, No. 21 Northwestern cross country resumes postseason competition on Friday morning at the NCAA Midwest Regional in Ames, Iowa.

Iowa State University will serve as the host of the 2026 edition of the regional meet, which will take place at the Iowa State Cross Country Course for the fourth time since its opening in 1995. The women’s 6k is set to open the day’s action at 11 a.m. CT. A link to follow live results can be accessed above.

Piloted by reigning Big Ten Conference Women’s Coach of the Year Jill Miller, Northwestern enters Friday sitting at No. 21 in the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) National Coaches’ Poll. The Wildcats, who reside in third in the organization’s regional rankings, have appeared in 14 straight editions of the national poll.

The ‘Cats are just under two weeks removed from placing second overall at the Big Ten Conference Championships, an effort that matched the top finish at the league meet in program history. Ava Criniti (8^th; 20:08.6), Katie Clute (10^th; 20:09.1), and Skye Ellis (13^th; 20:13.0) earned All-Big Ten accolades, with Criniti and Clute becoming the first Wildcats in program history to secure First Team honors in the same season.

Northwestern is no stranger to success at the regional meet under Miller’s watch, having earned runner-up finishes in both 2022 and 2025. At last season’s NCAA Midwest Regional in Stillwater, Okla., five Wildcats earned USTFCCCA All-Region distinction as Northwestern’s top five finished within an eight-second spread.

 The top two teams in the women's 6k race at the NCAA Midwest Regional, along with the top four individuals not on an advancing team, will receive automatic bids to the NCAA Cross Country Championships in Terre Haute, Ind., on Saturday, November 21. At-large selections to the national meet will be announced during the NCAA Division I Men's and Women's Cross Country Selection Show at 4 p.m. CT on Saturday, November 14.