Feb. 4, 2015
EVANSTON, Ill. -- On the heels of a superb performance at the 2015 Gladstein Invitational, Northwestern cross country's indoor track schedule continues this weekend at the Meyo Invitational and the Windy City Rumble.
Nine Wildcats are headed to South Bend, Ind., to compete in the Meyo Invitational at the Loftus Sports Center on the campus of the University of Notre Dame. The two-day event is now in its 28th year, and features some of the top runners in the Midwest among the 30-team field. The competition includes Illinois, Indiana, Michigan State, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio State, Louisville and the host Irish. The event will be aired live at FloTrack.org.
The action for Northwestern begins on Friday evening at 6:05 p.m. with the 5,000m event that will include Wildcats Andrea Ostenso and Elena Barham. Ostenso raced away from the 5,000m field two weeks ago at the Gladstein Invitational for the first win of her collegiate indoor career, finishing in 16:51:25, nearly a minute ahead of her closest competitor. The sophomore ranks second in the Big Ten in the event, and 30th in the NCAA.
On Saturday at 10 a.m. six Wildcats will be on the starting line for the 3,000m event. Sophomore Jena Pianin finished second in the race at the Gladstein and currently ranks 10th in the event among Big Ten competitors. She will be joined in South Bend by Isabel Seidel, who finished fourth two weeks ago, along with Renee Wellman, Megan O'Brien, Ellen Schmitz and Mallory Abel. The 'Cats will wrap up the Meyo on Saturday at 11 a.m. when Rachel Weathered competes in the One-Mile event. Weathered crossed the Gladstein Invitational finish line in 5:01:04 in her first action of the indoor track season.
Also taking place on Friday is the Windy City Rumble at Henry Crown Fieldhouse on the University of Chicago campus. Erica Grubbs is competing for the 'Cats in the One-Mile event while teammates Victoria Bianco and Haley Albers will take part in the 3,000m event against competitors from 17 schools including Loyola, Valparaiso and Chicago State.
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