After an impressive showing against Big Ten competition at the Badger Classic in Madison on Sept. 9, Northwestern found itself ranked No. 29 in the nation by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches’ Association. Three weeks later, it has some ground to make up.
The Wildcats got their first taste of elite national competition in Charlottesville, Virginia on Sept. 23, as they took part in the Virginia Invitational. Of the 23 teams that raced at UVA’s Panorama Farms, nine had finished 2022 as top-17 squads in the nation. Because the NCAA Championships will be held there in November, it’s likely that many elite teams wanted to familiarize themselves with the hilly course to identify potential training and tactical areas of improvement to address in the weeks leading up to postseason racing.