STILLWATER, Okla. – Senior Olivia Howell was the lone Illini to compete at the NCAA Championships on Saturday, Nov. 19. Howell ran a 21:27.9 in the 6k which slotted her in at 208th place.
She qualified for the NCAA Championships when she earned a win at the Midwest Regional a week ago. Her time of 20:02.9 placed her third all-time in the Illinois record book for the 6k.
Howell led the Illini women’s cross team in most of the races this season. She won three races outright: the John McNichols XC Invitational (5k, 17:17.8), Gans Creek Classic (6k, 20:21.1) and the NCAA Midwest Regional (6k, 20:02.9). She finished third overall, first for the Illini, at the Bradley Pink Classic (6k, 20:09.8).
2022 Cross Country Season Recap
This concludes the 2022 season for the Illinois cross country teams. The men’s team finished first at the John McNichols XC invitational and second at the Gans Creek Classic. They had a pair of fourth place finishes at the Bradley Pink Classic and Illini Open.
They finished sixth at the Big Ten Championships led by graduate student Colin Yandel who finished 18th (24:37.3). The Illini men placed 7th at the NCAA Midwest Regional, Yandel again paced them and placed 29th (30:10).
The women’s team started off the season with a pair of wins at the John McNichols XC Invitational and the Gans Creek Classic. They followed that up with a pair of second place finishes at the Bradley Pink Classic and the Illini Challenge.
They finished 9th at the Big Ten Championships led by graduate student Emma Milburn who placed 12th (20:30.5) and earned second-team All-Big Ten honors. At the NCAA Midwest Regional they finished sixth overall.
UP NEXT
The Illini distance runners set their sights on the upcoming track seasons. Illinois starts the indoor season at home in the UI Armory on Friday, Jan. 6 2023.
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