EVANSTON, Ill. (November 14, 2026) – 24 hours removed from finishing third at the NCAA Midwest Regional, No. 21 Northwestern cross country has earned an at-large berth to the NCAA Cross Country Championships in Terre Haute, Ind., the NCAA announced on Saturday.
The Wildcats will make their second consecutive trip to the national meet and fifth overall appearance in program history, the last three of which have come under reigning Big Ten Women’s Coach of the Year Jill Miller.
Northwestern makes its way to the Hoosier State on the strength of back-to-back top-three finishes to begin the postseason. Led by a trio of All-Big Ten Conference honorees in Ava Criniti, Katie Clute, and Skye Ellis, the ‘Cats matched the program’s top Big Ten Championships finish back on October 30, placing second at the league meet.
Criniti and Ellis went on to bring home United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association All-Region accolades at the NCAA Midwest Regional, finishing 11th and 13th, respectively, as the ‘Cats posted their fifth consecutive top-three finish on the regional stage.
Miller’s team will look to build on a historic showing at last season’s NCAA Championships. The Wildcats placed 18th overall at the Gans Creek Cross Country Course in Columbia, Mo., the program’s top finish since the championship field’s expansion in 1998.
Indiana State University will play host to the NCAA Cross Country Championships at the LaVern Gibson Cross Country Course on Saturday, November 21. The women’s 6k race is set to begin at 10:20 a.m. CT, with ESPNU slated to provide live coverage.