The ‘Cats are deep.
Jackie Holman led the way with a second-place finish as multiple runners outside Northwestern’s top five set personal bests this Friday at the Loyola Lakefront Invitational in Chicago.
Holman broke her own personal record in the 6k by 42 seconds, a breakout performance from the sophomore that springs her into the top tier of Wildcat runners. Her 21:15.42 finish is good for the sixth-highest 6k personal best on the Northwestern squad.
Mia Mraz, Audrey Bannister and Mallory Grubb also all joined Holman to set career bests on the lakeside runs.
Anna Hightower was the second finisher for the Wildcats, putting up a solid 21:34.05 to finish 16th. Fiona Lenth and Serena Frolli were behind her, as both runners set season bests on the way to finishes in 21st and 26th, respectively.
Mraz and Whitney Currie put together their best 6k performances of the season. Mraz, running the 6k for just the second time in her collegiate career — and her first since 2022 — took nearly two and a half minutes off her personal best to finish 29th in 22:08.56.
Even without its best five runners, Northwestern placed third out of five on the day, finishing just nine points behind No. 29 Texas, who ran its reserves as well.
Northwestern will be back in action on October 18 at the Bradley Pink Classic in Peoria, Ill. in its final meet before the postseason begins in November.