Northwestern University Athletics
Thursday, May 28
Fayetteville, Ark.
All Day
Northwestern
at
NCAA West Preliminary
Photo by: Katy Cowell
Wildcats Set For NCAA West Preliminary
5/27/2026 5:30:00 PM | Women's Cross Country & Track
Northwestern to send five student-athletes to Fayetteville, Ark.
EVANSTON, Ill. (May 27, 2026) – Northwestern track will continue its postseason journey this week, with five Wildcats slated to compete at the NCAA West Preliminary in Fayetteville, Ark.
Women's action on the track at the University of Arkansas' John McDonnell Field is set to begin at 6 p.m. CT on Thursday evening, with events slated to conclude shortly after 8:45 p.m. CT on Saturday night. ESPN+ will provide full coverage, with links to watch and follow live results available above.
In order to qualify for regional competition, athletes needed to finish in the top 48 of their respective events. The top 24 relay times also claimed postseason bids. Athletes with the top 12 times and marks, along with the top 12 relay times, at both the East and West Preliminaries will move on to the NCAA Outdoor Championships.
Skye Ellis will open Northwestern's stay in the Natural State at 6:30 p.m. CT on Thursday evening in the First Round of the 1,500m run. With either a top-five finish in her heat or one of the next four best times to not land in the top five of any of the event's four heats, Ellis, who shattered her own program record in the event twice this season ahead of a seventh-place finish at the Big Ten Outdoor Championships, will secure a spot in Saturday's quarterfinal-round heats at 5:15 p.m. CT.
The pairing of Ava Criniti and Jackie Holman will close out the opening day of competition for the 'Cats in the 10,000m run at 9:10 p.m. CT. Criniti (33:19.10) and Holman (33:32.10) own the top two spots on the program's all-time outdoor record board in the event after both securing their regional berths at the Raleigh Relays.
Cary Drake and Anna Hightower will hit the track at 5:40 p.m. CT on Saturday in the 3,000m steeplechase. Fresh off a fifth-place finish at the Big Ten Outdoor Championships, Drake ran the region's 13th-fastest time in the event at the Badger Challenge, breaking her own program record with a time of 10:04.15. Making her event debut alongside Drake at the meet, Hightower moved to second all-time in Wildcat annals, clocking in at 10:14.57.
Criniti will return to the track in Saturday's penultimate event when she takes part in the 5,000m run at 8:10 p.m. CT. Criniti solidified her postseason berth in the event at the Badger Challenge, finishing in 15:51.38, the fourth-fastest time in program history.
The NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships will be hosted by the University of Oregon at historic Hayward Field, June 10-13, in Eugene, Ore.
Women's action on the track at the University of Arkansas' John McDonnell Field is set to begin at 6 p.m. CT on Thursday evening, with events slated to conclude shortly after 8:45 p.m. CT on Saturday night. ESPN+ will provide full coverage, with links to watch and follow live results available above.
In order to qualify for regional competition, athletes needed to finish in the top 48 of their respective events. The top 24 relay times also claimed postseason bids. Athletes with the top 12 times and marks, along with the top 12 relay times, at both the East and West Preliminaries will move on to the NCAA Outdoor Championships.
Skye Ellis will open Northwestern's stay in the Natural State at 6:30 p.m. CT on Thursday evening in the First Round of the 1,500m run. With either a top-five finish in her heat or one of the next four best times to not land in the top five of any of the event's four heats, Ellis, who shattered her own program record in the event twice this season ahead of a seventh-place finish at the Big Ten Outdoor Championships, will secure a spot in Saturday's quarterfinal-round heats at 5:15 p.m. CT.
The pairing of Ava Criniti and Jackie Holman will close out the opening day of competition for the 'Cats in the 10,000m run at 9:10 p.m. CT. Criniti (33:19.10) and Holman (33:32.10) own the top two spots on the program's all-time outdoor record board in the event after both securing their regional berths at the Raleigh Relays.
Cary Drake and Anna Hightower will hit the track at 5:40 p.m. CT on Saturday in the 3,000m steeplechase. Fresh off a fifth-place finish at the Big Ten Outdoor Championships, Drake ran the region's 13th-fastest time in the event at the Badger Challenge, breaking her own program record with a time of 10:04.15. Making her event debut alongside Drake at the meet, Hightower moved to second all-time in Wildcat annals, clocking in at 10:14.57.
Criniti will return to the track in Saturday's penultimate event when she takes part in the 5,000m run at 8:10 p.m. CT. Criniti solidified her postseason berth in the event at the Badger Challenge, finishing in 15:51.38, the fourth-fastest time in program history.
The NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field Championships will be hosted by the University of Oregon 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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