‘A Havahla Haynes (’13 MSA) was announced as the head coach of Northwestern Cross Country on July 2, 2015.
Throughout her tenure at Northwestern, Haynes led the Wildcats to one of the best stretches in program history. During her first campaign in Evanston, the 'Cats made plenty of strides in multiple competitions that served as the kick starter to a culture change under Haynes. Among these achievements were a Top-3 finish at the 36th Annual Midwest Open, a Top-2 finish at the Illini Open and former Wildcat Elena Barham finishing among the top half individually at the NCAA Midwest Regionals.
In the spring of 2016, multiple Wildcats saw success in many competitions. Isabel Seidel started off the campaign with a victory at the 3K Orange & Blue Open, followed by Elena Barham and Brooke Pigneri both setting at the time personal records at the San Francisco Distance Carnival. When Big Ten play began, the 'Cats continued to find success, as Andrea Ostenso earned a victory at the 5K Illinois Twilight Meet. This victory is considered one of the most important in Haynes' tenure, as Ostenso beat out over 70 All-Americans and 16 individual NCAA Champions.
As she continued to mold the program into hers in the fall of 2016, Haynes and 'Cats understood the expectations were starting to increase. This tone was carried over onto the debut of one of the most distinguished Northwestern Cross Country student-athletes of all-time in Audrey Roberts, whom secured a victory at the Illini Challenge with fellow classmate Sarah Nicholson finishing right behind her. At the time, it was these two newcomers that helped push Haynes' program to an elite level. The 'Cats would go on to earn three Top-5 finishes throughout the fall season, with Roberts and Nicholson leading the charge individually. A first-year at the time, Roberts ran to a Top-4 finish at the NCAA Midwest Regional, and finished 50th in the country at the NCAA Championships.
With the major success of Roberts and Nicholson as true first-years and the team creating a new standard for itself, the 2017 outdoor campaign was one that Haynes looked to capitalize on greatly. At the Virginia Challenge, Isabel Seidel demonstrated this progression by earning a victorious 10:33.0 time at the 3K Steeplechase, a score that beat her previous-best by 26 seconds.
"While it has been coming, Isabel executed her race perfectly and just missed winning it overall," said Haynes after the competition.
As the season progressed, it was Roberts and Nicholson that continued to shine despite their lack of experience. At the Dr. Keeler Invitational, Roberts ran at the time a personal best 16:25.23 score, which ranked only behind former student-athlete and assistant coach Audrey Huth for the fastest time in a 5K race in program history.
Once the 'Cats began play indoors in the fall of the 2017, it was Roberts that once again set the tone for Haynes' side. An overall dominant performance centered around Roberts' 14:50.0 first place finish and Nicholson coming up just behind the Eau Claire, Wisc., native, the Wildcats earned head-to-head victories over Marquette, DePaul, Illinois-Chicago, Northern Illinois, Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Wisconsin-Green Bay and Lewis.?????? The team's success continued over to the Cowboy Jamboree, finishing fifth overall due to the efforts of two Top-8 finishes courtesy of Roberts and Nicholson.
Following a 19th place finish at the NCAA Pre-Nationals, Haynes and the 'Cats climbed to the No. 4 spot in the USTFCCCA Midwest Regional Rankings. It was the highest ranking in program history since the 2013 campaign. While at the Big Ten Championships, Roberts ran a 20:26.3 time that earned her First-Team All-Big Ten honors, becoming the second Wildcat ever to earn the recognition.
The Eau Claire, Wis., native's outstanding finishes helped push Northwestern to the program's second straight trip to the NCAA XC Championships. Roberts finished 63rd among some of the nation's most elite talent, and with the second consecutive appearance in the biggest event in collegiate XC, Haynes had successfully put Northwestern Cross Country on the map.
As the calendar turned to 2018, Haynes and co. understood that the margin for error was little to none in each competition. Among these expectations were not only consistent Top-10 finishes but also individual victories as well.
It didn’t take long for the ‘Cats deliver on these standards in the indoor campaign of 2018, with a 1-2-3 finish in the 3K race and a victory by Sara Coffey in the 1-Mile event during the Illinois Open.
In addition, one of the many traits that Haynes brought into the program was the idea that a student-athletes class designation is nothing more than a formality. Following the dominant performance in Champaign, Ill., underclassmen Mandy Davis and Hannah Tobin were named to Team USA side for the North American, Central American, and Caribbean (NACAC) Cross Country Championships.
The dominant finishes continued to flourish for Haynes’ side throughout the spring of 2018, including Andi Ostenso’s victory during the 3K event at the Alex Wilson Invitational and Kelly O’Brien crossing the line first to capture the 1.5K at the Benedictine Invitational. In the penultimate event of the outdoor regular-season, O’Brien again finished first at the Huskie Classic on the campus of Northern Illinois University.
After the impressive spring, Haynes and the ‘Cats continued to keep their foot on the gas. At the EIU Walt Crawford Open, O’Brien ran a personal-best time of 18:11.3 to earn a first place finish in the 5K race. The Palatine, Ill., native’s efforts helped push Northwestern to first overall among five total teams. This positive momentum was carried over to Madison, Wis., at the Zimmer Championships Course where five ‘Cats finished in the top 10 to earn a second place overall finish at the Badger Classic.
Roberts, who finished second at the aforementioned event, continued her success in Madison, Wis., as she finished third to help Haynes’ side earn 15th place in the NCAA Pre-Nationals. The Eau Claire, Wis., native later went on to finish as the runner-up in the Big Ten Championships and provided the ‘Cats to compete in a third-consecutive NCAA Championship appearance.
After Roberts became the first cross country All-American in Northwestern history with an 18th place finish at the NCAA Championships, Haynes noted how the program has changed via the Eau Claire, Wis., native’s tremendous efforts.
"The program's progression is exhilarating as we had first-years step up into high level competition and take the highs and lows with maturity all the while wanting to make improvements,” Haynes said. “As we move forward there is an understanding that we only get better together and we only rise as others rise with."
The large strides that Haynes had led for three and a half years only served as extra motivation for the 2019 campaign. Roberts’ recent success showed no signs of slowing down as she took home the first meet of the year during the mile event at the Illini Classic. O’Brien continued the ‘Cats winning ways at the Benedictine Invitational in April during the .8K and 1.5K meets. The Palatine, Ill., native carried the momentum over to the Huskie Classic by again winning 1.5K in addition to three other Wildcats placing in the Top-12 of the classic.
As the spring regular-season came to a close, Haynes and co. understood the importance of finishing strong. At the OXI Invite in Los Angeles,The Wildcats posted four top-10 finishes, highlighted byRoberts’ victory in the 5K. The Eau Claire, Wis. native again earned an invite and finished 17th at the NCAA West Preliminaries providing a national lens for the Northwestern Cross Country program.
In addition to the outstanding success athletically, Haynes only expected her student-athletes to be among the best in the classroom as well. As coach of Northwestern Cross Country, Haynes saw 42 student-athletes named to the Academic All-Big Ten Honors list.
Haynes’ tenure in Evanston allowed for the Wildcats to become a program that is not only expected to compete with some of the best the nation has to offer in Big Ten play but also on a national scale to where first place is expected constantly of the student-athletes. In the four years that the Northwestern alumni was at the helm, the Wildcats became regulars within Top-3 overall finishes and consistent representation at national competitions.
Haynes earned her bachelor’s degree in sociology from the University of Wisconsin and a Master’s of Sports Administration with a focus in marketing & public relations from Northwestern University.
Throughout her tenure at Northwestern, Haynes led the Wildcats to one of the best stretches in program history. During her first campaign in Evanston, the 'Cats made plenty of strides in multiple competitions that served as the kick starter to a culture change under Haynes. Among these achievements were a Top-3 finish at the 36th Annual Midwest Open, a Top-2 finish at the Illini Open and former Wildcat Elena Barham finishing among the top half individually at the NCAA Midwest Regionals.
In the spring of 2016, multiple Wildcats saw success in many competitions. Isabel Seidel started off the campaign with a victory at the 3K Orange & Blue Open, followed by Elena Barham and Brooke Pigneri both setting at the time personal records at the San Francisco Distance Carnival. When Big Ten play began, the 'Cats continued to find success, as Andrea Ostenso earned a victory at the 5K Illinois Twilight Meet. This victory is considered one of the most important in Haynes' tenure, as Ostenso beat out over 70 All-Americans and 16 individual NCAA Champions.
As she continued to mold the program into hers in the fall of 2016, Haynes and 'Cats understood the expectations were starting to increase. This tone was carried over onto the debut of one of the most distinguished Northwestern Cross Country student-athletes of all-time in Audrey Roberts, whom secured a victory at the Illini Challenge with fellow classmate Sarah Nicholson finishing right behind her. At the time, it was these two newcomers that helped push Haynes' program to an elite level. The 'Cats would go on to earn three Top-5 finishes throughout the fall season, with Roberts and Nicholson leading the charge individually. A first-year at the time, Roberts ran to a Top-4 finish at the NCAA Midwest Regional, and finished 50th in the country at the NCAA Championships.
With the major success of Roberts and Nicholson as true first-years and the team creating a new standard for itself, the 2017 outdoor campaign was one that Haynes looked to capitalize on greatly. At the Virginia Challenge, Isabel Seidel demonstrated this progression by earning a victorious 10:33.0 time at the 3K Steeplechase, a score that beat her previous-best by 26 seconds.
"While it has been coming, Isabel executed her race perfectly and just missed winning it overall," said Haynes after the competition.
As the season progressed, it was Roberts and Nicholson that continued to shine despite their lack of experience. At the Dr. Keeler Invitational, Roberts ran at the time a personal best 16:25.23 score, which ranked only behind former student-athlete and assistant coach Audrey Huth for the fastest time in a 5K race in program history.
Once the 'Cats began play indoors in the fall of the 2017, it was Roberts that once again set the tone for Haynes' side. An overall dominant performance centered around Roberts' 14:50.0 first place finish and Nicholson coming up just behind the Eau Claire, Wisc., native, the Wildcats earned head-to-head victories over Marquette, DePaul, Illinois-Chicago, Northern Illinois, Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Wisconsin-Green Bay and Lewis.?????? The team's success continued over to the Cowboy Jamboree, finishing fifth overall due to the efforts of two Top-8 finishes courtesy of Roberts and Nicholson.
Following a 19th place finish at the NCAA Pre-Nationals, Haynes and the 'Cats climbed to the No. 4 spot in the USTFCCCA Midwest Regional Rankings. It was the highest ranking in program history since the 2013 campaign. While at the Big Ten Championships, Roberts ran a 20:26.3 time that earned her First-Team All-Big Ten honors, becoming the second Wildcat ever to earn the recognition.
The Eau Claire, Wis., native's outstanding finishes helped push Northwestern to the program's second straight trip to the NCAA XC Championships. Roberts finished 63rd among some of the nation's most elite talent, and with the second consecutive appearance in the biggest event in collegiate XC, Haynes had successfully put Northwestern Cross Country on the map.
As the calendar turned to 2018, Haynes and co. understood that the margin for error was little to none in each competition. Among these expectations were not only consistent Top-10 finishes but also individual victories as well.
It didn’t take long for the ‘Cats deliver on these standards in the indoor campaign of 2018, with a 1-2-3 finish in the 3K race and a victory by Sara Coffey in the 1-Mile event during the Illinois Open.
In addition, one of the many traits that Haynes brought into the program was the idea that a student-athletes class designation is nothing more than a formality. Following the dominant performance in Champaign, Ill., underclassmen Mandy Davis and Hannah Tobin were named to Team USA side for the North American, Central American, and Caribbean (NACAC) Cross Country Championships.
The dominant finishes continued to flourish for Haynes’ side throughout the spring of 2018, including Andi Ostenso’s victory during the 3K event at the Alex Wilson Invitational and Kelly O’Brien crossing the line first to capture the 1.5K at the Benedictine Invitational. In the penultimate event of the outdoor regular-season, O’Brien again finished first at the Huskie Classic on the campus of Northern Illinois University.
After the impressive spring, Haynes and the ‘Cats continued to keep their foot on the gas. At the EIU Walt Crawford Open, O’Brien ran a personal-best time of 18:11.3 to earn a first place finish in the 5K race. The Palatine, Ill., native’s efforts helped push Northwestern to first overall among five total teams. This positive momentum was carried over to Madison, Wis., at the Zimmer Championships Course where five ‘Cats finished in the top 10 to earn a second place overall finish at the Badger Classic.
Roberts, who finished second at the aforementioned event, continued her success in Madison, Wis., as she finished third to help Haynes’ side earn 15th place in the NCAA Pre-Nationals. The Eau Claire, Wis., native later went on to finish as the runner-up in the Big Ten Championships and provided the ‘Cats to compete in a third-consecutive NCAA Championship appearance.
After Roberts became the first cross country All-American in Northwestern history with an 18th place finish at the NCAA Championships, Haynes noted how the program has changed via the Eau Claire, Wis., native’s tremendous efforts.
"The program's progression is exhilarating as we had first-years step up into high level competition and take the highs and lows with maturity all the while wanting to make improvements,” Haynes said. “As we move forward there is an understanding that we only get better together and we only rise as others rise with."
The large strides that Haynes had led for three and a half years only served as extra motivation for the 2019 campaign. Roberts’ recent success showed no signs of slowing down as she took home the first meet of the year during the mile event at the Illini Classic. O’Brien continued the ‘Cats winning ways at the Benedictine Invitational in April during the .8K and 1.5K meets. The Palatine, Ill., native carried the momentum over to the Huskie Classic by again winning 1.5K in addition to three other Wildcats placing in the Top-12 of the classic.
As the spring regular-season came to a close, Haynes and co. understood the importance of finishing strong. At the OXI Invite in Los Angeles,The Wildcats posted four top-10 finishes, highlighted byRoberts’ victory in the 5K. The Eau Claire, Wis. native again earned an invite and finished 17th at the NCAA West Preliminaries providing a national lens for the Northwestern Cross Country program.
In addition to the outstanding success athletically, Haynes only expected her student-athletes to be among the best in the classroom as well. As coach of Northwestern Cross Country, Haynes saw 42 student-athletes named to the Academic All-Big Ten Honors list.
Haynes’ tenure in Evanston allowed for the Wildcats to become a program that is not only expected to compete with some of the best the nation has to offer in Big Ten play but also on a national scale to where first place is expected constantly of the student-athletes. In the four years that the Northwestern alumni was at the helm, the Wildcats became regulars within Top-3 overall finishes and consistent representation at national competitions.
Haynes earned her bachelor’s degree in sociology from the University of Wisconsin and a Master’s of Sports Administration with a focus in marketing & public relations from Northwestern University.