Northwestern University Athletics
Friday, April 10
Elmhurst, Ill.
2 p.m. CT
Northwestern
at
Chicagoland Championships
Photo by: Kailey Zagst/Northwestern Athletics
Ellis, Drake Break Program Records At Chicagoland Championships
4/10/2026 4:50:00 PM | Women's Cross Country & Track
‘Cats total three individual victories in return to outdoor action
ELMHURST, Ill. (April 10, 2026) – Skye Ellis and Cary Drake established new program records in their respective events as part of an afternoon that saw Northwestern track win three event titles at the Chicagoland Championships in Elmhurst, Ill.
Gallery: (4-10-2026) Track at Chicagoland Championships
Coming off a 2025 outdoor season in which she surpassed the program's top 1,500m run mark on a pair of occasions, Ellis didn't skip a beat in the event this afternoon at Elmhurst University's Langhorst Field. The Jan Juc, Australia native surged to victory with a time of 4:17.24, shaving two seconds off her previous program record set at the Badger Challenge on May 2, 2025.
Ellis' showing highlighted a quartet of 'Cats to place inside the top 10 in the 1,500m run. Anna Hightower ascended to just behind Ellis in Wildcat annals, racing across in 4:23.19, the second-fastest time in school history, to earn a runner-up finish. Jackie Holman posted the fifth-fastest 1,500m run time in her event debut, taking fourth in 4:24.77, while Maddy Whitman clocked a personal-best 4:36.22 to finish ninth.
Drake turned in a dazzling performance in the first 3,000m steeplechase outing of her collegiate career. The York, Maine product stormed to a program-record time of 10:29.96 en route to finishing atop the leaderboard. Competing alongside Drake, Mallory Grubb also impressed, taking 44 seconds off her previous top showing in the event to secure a runner-up finish with a time of 10:43.74 that ranks third all-time at Northwestern.
Kailey Zagst led the charge for the Wildcats' 5,000m run squad to open the day in Chicagoland's western suburbs, finishing first overall in 16:59.83. Marley McCullough (17:16.20) and Katherine Klimek (17:52.64) both notched new personal bests to place third and seventh, respectively.
Northwestern faces a quick turnaround as it returns to action next week, April 16-17, at the Bryan Clay Invitational in Azusa, Calif. and the Gibson Invitational in Terre Haute, Ind.
Coming off a 2025 outdoor season in which she surpassed the program's top 1,500m run mark on a pair of occasions, Ellis didn't skip a beat in the event this afternoon at Elmhurst University's Langhorst Field. The Jan Juc, Australia native surged to victory with a time of 4:17.24, shaving two seconds off her previous program record set at the Badger Challenge on May 2, 2025.
Ellis' showing highlighted a quartet of 'Cats to place inside the top 10 in the 1,500m run. Anna Hightower ascended to just behind Ellis in Wildcat annals, racing across in 4:23.19, the second-fastest time in school history, to earn a runner-up finish. Jackie Holman posted the fifth-fastest 1,500m run time in her event debut, taking fourth in 4:24.77, while Maddy Whitman clocked a personal-best 4:36.22 to finish ninth.
Drake turned in a dazzling performance in the first 3,000m steeplechase outing of her collegiate career. The York, Maine product stormed to a program-record time of 10:29.96 en route to finishing atop the leaderboard. Competing alongside Drake, Mallory Grubb also impressed, taking 44 seconds off her previous top showing in the event to secure a runner-up finish with a time of 10:43.74 that ranks third all-time at Northwestern.
Kailey Zagst led the charge for the Wildcats' 5,000m run squad to open the day in Chicagoland's western suburbs, finishing first overall in 16:59.83. Marley McCullough (17:16.20) and Katherine Klimek (17:52.64) both notched new personal bests to place third and seventh, respectively.
Northwestern faces a quick turnaround as it returns to action next week, April 16-17, at the Bryan Clay Invitational in Azusa, Calif. and the Gibson Invitational in Terre Haute, Ind.
Players Mentioned
/ Women's Cross Country & Track
/ Women's Cross Country & Track
/ Women's Cross Country & Track
/ Women's Cross Country & Track
/ Women's Cross Country & Track
/ Women's Cross Country & Track
/ Women's Cross Country & Track
/ Women's Cross Country & Track
/ Women's Cross Country & Track
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