University of Illinois
NCAA Championships
Illini Ready To Compete At NCAA Championships Saturday
November 22, 2019 | Women's Cross Country
Women's 6K will begin at 10:15 a.m. CT.
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - The NCAA Midwest Regional champion Fighting Illini women's cross country team is set to compete at NCAA Championships on Saturday, November 23 at Indiana State. The women's 6K race will begin at 10:15 a.m. CT.
| NCAA Championships | |
|---|---|
| When | Saturday, November 23 |
| Where | LaVern Gibson Championship Cross Country Course // Terre Haute, Ind. |
| Watch | FloTrack |
| Meet Information | |
| Performance List | Women's Performance List |
| Team Information | Illini Notes | Women's Quick Facts |
| Social Media | @IlliniTrackXC   | #Illini | illinitrackxc  | Facebook  | YouTub |
Meet Information
Follow the Meet
Fans can stream the 2019 NCAA Championships with a subscription to FloTrack. Live Results for nationals can be found at http://pttiming.com/events/87931616 . Fans can follow @IlliniTrackXC on Twitter and Instagram for updates during the meet. Results will be posted on fightingillini.com at the conclusion of the race, as well as a recap of the day's competition.
Illini At NCAA Championships
Women's 6K: Nicki Cast, Rebecca Craddock, Caroline Fix, Olivia Howell, Madison Marasco, Allison McGrath, Emma Milburn, Katie Stapleton, Emma Wilson
Coach Haveman On NCAA Championships
"We are excited to get the women out there racing on the national stage. They are proud of themselves while still being eager to continue to evolve and establish themselves. It will be a wonderful experience for them and will set our program up for a new level of success."
About LaVern Gibson Championship Cross Country Course
The LaVern Gibson Championship course features a challenging, yet manageable, mix of uphill and downhill sections and a simple straightaway start that stretches for nearly the first kilometer before a turn. For spectators, the ability to see nearly the entire race from the right perch. The course has hosted the NCAA Division 1 National Championship 12 times previously to 2019.
A Look At The Competition
The nation's top 31 programs are set to compete at NCAA Championships. 18 qualifying teams placed in the top-two at their regional championship. The next 13 earned at-large bids to the national final. 38 runners from non-qualifying programs also compete at NCAA Championships. Seven Big Ten programs join No. 21 Illinois in the women's 6K field: No. 5 Michigan State, No. 8 Michigan, No. 11 Wisconsin, No. 16 Penn State, No. 17 Ohio State, No. 26 Indiana and No. 27 Minnesota. No. 10 Colorado is the defending national champion on the women's side.
All-America Qualifications
The first 40 student-athletes to cross the finish line at NCAA Championships on Saturday will achieve All-America honors.
Illini Notes
Last Time Out
Illinois Women's Cross Country Wins NCAA Midwest Regional Title
Fighting Illini women's cross country won the 2019 NCAA Midwest Regional Championship on Nov. 15 at Oklahoma State. Ranked No. 22 nationally by USTFCCCA and No. 1 in the Midwest Region, Illinois finished the day with a team score of 108. It's the second regional title for the Illini in program history, with the first coming in 2006. Through the regional title, Illinois automatically qualified for Saturday's NCAA Championships at Indiana State. It is the seventh time the Illini women have qualified for nationals, and the first time since 2009.
Four Illini Finish With All-Region Honors
The Illini were led at the Midwest Regional by four performances that garnered Midwest All-Region honors, as juniors Allison McGrath and Rebecca Craddock and sophomores Madison Marasco and Emma Milburn each placed in the top-25 overall to achieve the accolade. Freshman Emma Wilson rounded out the Illini scorers with a top-40 finish, placing 39th in her first collegiate NCAA Midwest Regional.
McGrath crossed first for the Illini at the Midwest Regional, her second straight year leading the Orange and Blue at the regional meet. She placed 12th overall and timed 20:58.5 to pick up All-Region honors for the second straight season.
Craddock continued her strong junior campaign at the Midwest Regional, coming in two spots behind McGrath at 14th overall and recording a finish time of 21:04.4. This is Craddock's first-career All-Region accolade.
Marasco notched a top-20 overall finish for the Illini on Friday, placing 18th overall with a finish time of 21:12.8. The Illini sophomore makes it consecutive seasons earning All-Region honors with today's performance.
Milburn collected her first-career All-Region honor at the 2019 NCAA Midwest Regional. The Lake Forest, Ill. native placed 25th, clocking a 6K finish time of 21:20.0.
Coach Haveman Named Midwest Region Coach of the Year
Fighting Illini head cross country coach Sarah Haveman was named the USTFCCCA Midwest Region Women's Coach of the Year on Tuesday, the USTFCCCA announced. Haveman is the second coach in the history of the Illinois women's program to win the award, joining Karen Harvey, who won in 2006.
In just her second season at the helm of Illinois cross country, Haveman became the fastest coach in program history to lead the team to an NCAA Midwest Regional title, which the 2019 Illinois women's cross country team captured on November 15. She surpassed Karen Harvey, who led the Illini to the 2006 regional title in her fifth season as head coach.
Haveman is in her third season overall with Illinois and in her second as the head coach of both the women's and men's cross country programs. Illinois women's cross country has gone from 24th place (2017) to fourth place (2018) to first place (2019) over the last three seasons at the Midwest Regional.
Illinois Women In The Rankings Throughout The Season
Fighting Illini women's cross country is ranked No. 21 by the USTFCCCA heading into NCAA Championships. The Illini have been nationally-ranked by the USTFCCCA since October 1, and receiving votes since September 24. The team earned its first No. 1 Midwest Regional ranking since the 2009 season on October 21, and would go on to enter the NCAA Midwest Regional at Oklahoma State as the region's top team.
Illini History At NCAA Championships
The Illini last competed at NCAA Championships in 2009. The team finished 12th and was led by Illinois Athletics Hall of Famer Angela Bizzarri, who won the individual national title with a 6K finish time of 19:46.8, the fastest time in program history by 12 seconds. Bizzari is the lone national champion in Illinois women's program history, and one of six All-Americans. Bizzarri collected All-America honors in each of her four seasons competing for the Orange and Blue. The most recent Illini to earn All-America honors was Alyssa Schneider, who placed 17th overall at 2015 NCAA Championships with a 6K finish of 20:09.4. Results from Illinois' previous six trips to NCAA Championships, all from 2004-2009, are below.
2009: Team Finish: 12th (365) Top Individual: Angela Bizzarri (1st, 19:46)
2008: Team Finish: 10th (318) Top Individual Angela Bizzarri (6th, 19:59)
2007: Team Finish: 6th (331) Top Individual: Angela Bizzarri (14th, 20:35)
2006: Team Finish: 8th (301) Top Individual: Angela Bizzarri (24th, 21:18)
2005: Team Finish: 5th (212) Top Individual: Cassie Hunt (11th, 20:05)
2004: Team Finish: 20th (443) Top Individual: Jaime Turilli (35th, 21:20)
For complete coverage of Fighting Illini Cross Country, visit FightingIllini.com, follow the Illini on Twitter (@IlliniTrackXC) and Instagram (illinitrackxc) and like Fighting Illini Track and Field & Cross Country on Facebook.
