Northwestern University Athletics
Photo by: Katy Cowell
Northwestern Track Qualifies Five For NCAA West Preliminary
5/21/2026 12:30:00 PM | Women's Cross Country & Track
Regional meet set for May 27-30 in Fayetteville, Ark.
EVANSTON, Ill. (May 21, 2026) – Northwestern track will send five student-athletes to the NCAA West Preliminary in Fayetteville, Ark., it was announced on Thursday. The 2026 edition of the regional meet will be hosted by the University of Arkansas at John McDonnell Field, May 27-30.
Cary Drake (York, Maine/York) makes her way to the Natural State as the top-ranked Wildcat on the regional leaderboard, sitting 13th in the 3,000m steeplechase. Drake, who has shattered the program record in the event twice this season, punched her postseason ticket at the Badger Challenge, where she ran 10:04.15 en route to victory. She went on to secure a podium finish in the event at this past weekend's Big Ten Outdoor Championships, finishing in fifth place (10:14.89).
Anna Hightower (Arnhem, Netherlands) is set to compete alongside Drake in the 3,000m steeplechase. Hightower dazzled in her first career appearance in the event earlier in the month at the Badger Challenge, surging through in 10:14.57 to move to second all-time in program history.
Ava Criniti (Lexington, Mass./Lexington) will represent the 'Cats in both the 5,000m and 10,000m runs after bookending the outdoor season with a pair of standout efforts. Criniti got her campaign off to a red-hot start, breaking the program record in the 10,000m run at the prestigious Raleigh Relays, where she clocked a time of 33:19.10, a mark that ranks 29th in the NCAA West Region. She capped off the regular season by ascending to fourth all-time in Wildcat annals in the 5,000m run after checking in at 15:51.38 at the Badger Challenge.
Jackie Holman (San Francisco, Calif./Lowell) is slated to join Criniti in the 10,000m run. No stranger to running alongside her redshirt sophomore counterpart, Holman moved into the number two spot on the program's outdoor record board in the event at the Raleigh Relays this past March, finishing in 33:32.10.
Fresh off a podium finish of her own at the Big Ten Outdoor Championships, Skye Ellis (Jan Juc, Australia) will set her sights on advancing in the 1,500m run. Ellis surpassed her own program record twice during the regular season, highlighted by a time of 4:14.55 at the Badger Challenge, ahead of earning a seventh-place finish (4:23.08) in the event at the outdoor league meet.
The University of Oregon will play host to the 2026 NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships at historic Hayward Field, June 10-13, in Eugene, Ore.
Cary Drake (York, Maine/York) makes her way to the Natural State as the top-ranked Wildcat on the regional leaderboard, sitting 13th in the 3,000m steeplechase. Drake, who has shattered the program record in the event twice this season, punched her postseason ticket at the Badger Challenge, where she ran 10:04.15 en route to victory. She went on to secure a podium finish in the event at this past weekend's Big Ten Outdoor Championships, finishing in fifth place (10:14.89).
Anna Hightower (Arnhem, Netherlands) is set to compete alongside Drake in the 3,000m steeplechase. Hightower dazzled in her first career appearance in the event earlier in the month at the Badger Challenge, surging through in 10:14.57 to move to second all-time in program history.
Ava Criniti (Lexington, Mass./Lexington) will represent the 'Cats in both the 5,000m and 10,000m runs after bookending the outdoor season with a pair of standout efforts. Criniti got her campaign off to a red-hot start, breaking the program record in the 10,000m run at the prestigious Raleigh Relays, where she clocked a time of 33:19.10, a mark that ranks 29th in the NCAA West Region. She capped off the regular season by ascending to fourth all-time in Wildcat annals in the 5,000m run after checking in at 15:51.38 at the Badger Challenge.
Jackie Holman (San Francisco, Calif./Lowell) is slated to join Criniti in the 10,000m run. No stranger to running alongside her redshirt sophomore counterpart, Holman moved into the number two spot on the program's outdoor record board in the event at the Raleigh Relays this past March, finishing in 33:32.10.
Fresh off a podium finish of her own at the Big Ten Outdoor Championships, Skye Ellis (Jan Juc, Australia) will set her sights on advancing in the 1,500m run. Ellis surpassed her own program record twice during the regular season, highlighted by a time of 4:14.55 at the Badger Challenge, ahead of earning a seventh-place finish (4:23.08) in the event at the outdoor league meet.
The University of Oregon will play host to the 2026 NCAA Outdoor Track & Field Championships at historic Hayward Field, June 10-13, in Eugene, Ore.
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
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