Jessie Baloga

Class:
Sophomore
High School:
East Grand Rapids
Hometown:
Grand Rapids, Mich.

Did not return to the cross country team following the 2013-14 academic year.

2013: Competed in four events ... Posted her season-best 5K time of 18:24 at the Illini Open, claiming second place on the team and fourth overall (Oct. 25) ... Ran an 18:35 5K at the UW-Parkside Lucian Rosa Invite in Wisconsin ... Academic All-Big Ten.

2012: Competed in five events as a freshman ... Finished first overall at the Northern Illinois Open (Nov. 2) with a season-best 5K time of 18:04.8 ... Posted a time of 22:55 in her first career 6K event at the Spartan Invite before lowering her time to 21:58 in the 6K Wisconsin Adidas Invitational (Oct. 12) ... Debuted in the season-opening Huskie Open with a time of 18:26, good for eighth among Wildcat runners.

High School: Achieved all-conference and all-state status all four years of her cross country career ... Named team's Most Outstanding Freshman and later in her career the team MVP ... Helped East Grand Rapids with three state championships in her career (2008, 2009, 2011) ... Cross country team captain ... Also a three-time all-conference and all-state performer in track ... Member of state champion 4x800-meter relay team and helped set school records in 4x800 and 4x400 events ... Three-time Academic All-State and member of National Honor Society.

Personal: Born Jessica Corey Baloga ... Daughter of Amy Williams and Mark Baloga ... Chose Northwestern over Michigan ... Plans on majoring in environmental science.