MADISON, Wis. - Led by junior Katherine Hessler, Northwestern cross country ran to a sixth-place team finish at the Big Ten Championships in Madison, Wis., on Friday. The placement is the second highest by a Wildcat team in program history, falling just shy of last season's fifth-place mark.
Hessler, a junior, finished fifth overall in a field of 154 runners with a time of 21:10.0, earning First-Team All-Big Ten honors and tying for the second-highest finish ever by a Northwestern runner at a conference championship. The 'Cats have now placed an athlete on the First Team three falls in a row, with Hessler joining Rachel McCardell, who placed fifth overall in 2021 and seventh in 2022.
Behind Hessler was graduate student Kalea Bartolotto, who placed in the top-20 for the second season in a row with a 21:40.2, 16th-place finish. Rounding out Northwestern's top five were Fiona Lenth (22:15.8), Adele Magaud (22:16.0) and Anna Delgado (22:44.4). Delgado was one of two first years to suit up for the Championships, joined by Erin Boler, who finished 84th.
The 'Cats will now turn their attention to the NCAA Midwest Regional, which will be hosted by Oklahoma State University on Nov. 10 in Stillwater, Okla. Northwestern will compete with a field that includes two of the top 25 teams in the nation as they vie for their second-straight top-two finish and an auto-bid to the NCAA Championships.
FULL NORTHWESTERN RESULTS
5. Katherine Hessler (21:10.0)
16. Kalea Bartolotto (21:40.2)
41. Fiona Lenth (22:15.8)
42. Adele Magaud (22:16.0)
62. Anna Delgado (22:44.4)
74. Ava Earl (22:54.3)
77. Abbie Draheim (22:55.5)
84. Erin Boler (23:03.0)
87. Maddy Whitman (23:08.0)
93. Emily Casaclang (23:14.7)
98. Skye Ellis (23:22.6)
138. Deepti Choudhury (24:23.1)
Hessler, a junior, finished fifth overall in a field of 154 runners with a time of 21:10.0, earning First-Team All-Big Ten honors and tying for the second-highest finish ever by a Northwestern runner at a conference championship. The 'Cats have now placed an athlete on the First Team three falls in a row, with Hessler joining Rachel McCardell, who placed fifth overall in 2021 and seventh in 2022.
Top ???
— Northwestern Athletics (@NU_Sports) October 27, 2023
Katherine Hessler is a first-team All-B1G athlete ?? pic.twitter.com/OfndfWrnbF
Behind Hessler was graduate student Kalea Bartolotto, who placed in the top-20 for the second season in a row with a 21:40.2, 16th-place finish. Rounding out Northwestern's top five were Fiona Lenth (22:15.8), Adele Magaud (22:16.0) and Anna Delgado (22:44.4). Delgado was one of two first years to suit up for the Championships, joined by Erin Boler, who finished 84th.
The 'Cats will now turn their attention to the NCAA Midwest Regional, which will be hosted by Oklahoma State University on Nov. 10 in Stillwater, Okla. Northwestern will compete with a field that includes two of the top 25 teams in the nation as they vie for their second-straight top-two finish and an auto-bid to the NCAA Championships.
FULL NORTHWESTERN RESULTS
5. Katherine Hessler (21:10.0)
16. Kalea Bartolotto (21:40.2)
41. Fiona Lenth (22:15.8)
42. Adele Magaud (22:16.0)
62. Anna Delgado (22:44.4)
74. Ava Earl (22:54.3)
77. Abbie Draheim (22:55.5)
84. Erin Boler (23:03.0)
87. Maddy Whitman (23:08.0)
93. Emily Casaclang (23:14.7)
98. Skye Ellis (23:22.6)
138. Deepti Choudhury (24:23.1)