EVANSTON, Ill. (November 4, 2026) – After leading the Wildcats to a historic finish at the Big Ten Championships, Northwestern University head cross country coach Jill Miller has been named the Big Ten Conference Women’s Coach of the Year, the league office announced on Wednesday.
Led by a trio of finishers inside the top 15, Northwestern placed second overall last Friday in Madison, Wis., matching the program’s best finish at the Big Ten Championships. The Wildcats’ team score of 90 marked the program’s second-lowest total at the league meet in program history. The result gave Northwestern back-to-back top three finishes at the meet for the first time since 1985-86.
On the individual front, Ava Criniti (8th; 20:08.6) and Katie Clute (10th; 20:09.1) secured First Team All-Big Ten honors, the first time in program history that multiple Wildcats have done so in the same season. Skye Ellis (13th; 20:13.0), who was recognized as Northwestern’s Big Ten Sportsmanship Award recipient, took home Second Team All-Big Ten distinction.
Now in her eighth season leading the Wildcats, Jill Miller has piloted Northwestern to back-to-back top three finishes at the Big Ten Championships for the first time since 1985-86.
Since her arrival in Evanston prior to the 2019 season, Miller has elevated the Wildcats to new heights, successfully establishing Northwestern among the nation’s elite in cross country. The Wildcats have been a fixture in the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) National Coaches’ Poll across the last two seasons, appearing in the last 14 editions of the national rankings. Under Miller, the ‘Cats achieved the program’s first-ever top-10 ranking, climbing to No. 8 in the October 21, 2025, edition of the poll.
Northwestern will look to continue its postseason success at the NCAA Midwest Regional in Ames, Iowa on Friday, November 13.