Friday, August 31
Charleston, Ill.
Northwestern
at
Eastern Illinois
‘Cats Sweep Top Three Spots to Earn Season-Opening Victory at EIU
9/1/2018 10:26:00 AM | Women's Cross Country & Track
CHARLESTON, Ill. – Junior Kelly O'Brien started the 2018 campaign out strong with a personal-best time of 18:11.3 to earn a first-place finish in the 5K race at the EIU Walt Crawford Open in Charleston, Illinois, on Friday afternoon, helping lead Northwestern to a first place overall team finish.
The Wildcats underclassmen stepped up in their first collegiate race as O'Brien was followed close behind by first years Sielle Kearney and Rachel McCardell. Together, the women swept the top three spots on the Tom Woodall Panther Trail.
Kearney and McCardell both finished under the 18:20 mark as Kearney crossed the line in 18:12.8 and McCardell rounded out the top three at 18:19.5.
"We relied on our returners to set the tone but our first years did an incredible job being competitive," said head coach 'AHavahla Haynes. "Sielle, Rachel and Hannah are going to have a lasting impact on this season and program."
Northwestern had the most top-10 finishes out of all five teams present as junior Jazmine Reyes and first year Hannah Hall earned top-10 finishes crossing the line in sixth and ninth, respectively.
"The race today was an indicator of how the team can cope with the unknown," Haynes said. "While I set forth a plan for the team to run in groups there was not a set or dictated pace. The goal was to get out and run a hard last kilometer."
With 21 points, the 'Cats bested second-place University of Illinois by 29 points. NU also finished ahead of Eastern Illinois, Evansville and Kaskaskia College.
The Wildcats will return to action on Friday, September 14 when they travel to Madison, Wisconsin to participate in the Badger Classic at 5 p.m. CT.
EIU Walt Crawford Open Results (5K)
Kelly O'Brien (1) – 18:11.3
Sielle Kearney (2) – 18:12.8
Rachel McCardell (3) – 18:19.5
Jazmine Reyes (6) – 18:33.9
Hannah Hall (9) – 18:49.9
Vanessa Garcia (16) – 19:25.2
Amanda Davis (17) – 19:33.7
Sara McCoy (25) – 20:04.7
Olivia Verbeke (29) – 20:39.1
Mackenzie Wilson (40) – 22:04.8
The Wildcats underclassmen stepped up in their first collegiate race as O'Brien was followed close behind by first years Sielle Kearney and Rachel McCardell. Together, the women swept the top three spots on the Tom Woodall Panther Trail.
Kearney and McCardell both finished under the 18:20 mark as Kearney crossed the line in 18:12.8 and McCardell rounded out the top three at 18:19.5.
"We relied on our returners to set the tone but our first years did an incredible job being competitive," said head coach 'AHavahla Haynes. "Sielle, Rachel and Hannah are going to have a lasting impact on this season and program."
Northwestern had the most top-10 finishes out of all five teams present as junior Jazmine Reyes and first year Hannah Hall earned top-10 finishes crossing the line in sixth and ninth, respectively.
"The race today was an indicator of how the team can cope with the unknown," Haynes said. "While I set forth a plan for the team to run in groups there was not a set or dictated pace. The goal was to get out and run a hard last kilometer."
With 21 points, the 'Cats bested second-place University of Illinois by 29 points. NU also finished ahead of Eastern Illinois, Evansville and Kaskaskia College.
The Wildcats will return to action on Friday, September 14 when they travel to Madison, Wisconsin to participate in the Badger Classic at 5 p.m. CT.
EIU Walt Crawford Open Results (5K)
Kelly O'Brien (1) – 18:11.3
Sielle Kearney (2) – 18:12.8
Rachel McCardell (3) – 18:19.5
Jazmine Reyes (6) – 18:33.9
Hannah Hall (9) – 18:49.9
Vanessa Garcia (16) – 19:25.2
Amanda Davis (17) – 19:33.7
Sara McCoy (25) – 20:04.7
Olivia Verbeke (29) – 20:39.1
Mackenzie Wilson (40) – 22:04.8
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
/ Women's Cross Country & Track
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