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DeKALB, Ill. - The Northern Illinois University cross country team hopes to build on its best ever Mid-American Conference Championships performance by making more history at the NCAA Midwest Regional Championships on Friday afternoon in Lawrence, Kan.

The Huskies finished seventh as a team at the MAC meet two weeks ago, with star sophomore Kelsey Hildreth claiming second place individually to lead NIU to its best conference effort ever. Unfortunately, Hildreth (Byron, Ill./Byron), who also earned First Team All-MAC honors for the second consecutive season, will not be able to race on Friday due to an injury she suffered in her last race.

In the absence of Hildreth, seven Huskies will race in Friday's marquee event, with seniors Katie Bristow (Lerwick, Scotland/Glasgow Caledonian) and Hannah Savage (Cedar Falls, Iowa/Cedar Falls), junior Carly Pederson (Bloomington, Ill./Normal Community), sophomores Lorena Martin (Salamanca, Spain/IFS Fray Luis de Leon) and Taylor Perkins (Lakeville, Minn./Lakeville North) and freshmen Maura Beattie (Woodstock, Ill./Woodstock) and Ericka Hibser (Lewiston, Ill./Lewiston) completing the NIU roster.

In his first season as the head coach of the NIU cross country program, Adrian Myers has already led the Huskies to a historic campaign. And he now hopes his team can rally, show its quality in depth and improve on last season's 23rd-place finish at the Midwest Regional race.

"I expect Ericka, Katie and our entire team to really step up for us this weekend. They've embraced the challenge to lead our team against some of the nation's best, and they're ready for it," Myers said. "Our team goal is to be in the top half of our region, which would be a dramatic improvement programatically as well as a great statement from this group running without our national front-runner."

Coach Myers also discussed the absence of Hildreth, who would've been a contender to qualify for nationals this season, which will be held next Saturday in Louisville, Ky.

"I had to make the hard decision to sit Kelsey. She has far too bright of a future to risk her long-term health over one race," Myers said of Hildreth. "She will be back and will contend to make several NCAA Championships over the course of her remaining career at NIU. You can't plan for this sort of thing, but you have to make the best decision for the future."

Last year, Hildreth and teammate Meghan Heuer became the first Huskies ever to earn All-Midwest Region honors by finishing in the top 20, and the then-freshman Hildreth missed qualifying for nationals by just four positions and less than 10 seconds of race time over the six-kilometer course.

The NCAA Midwest Regional will feature all of the cross country teams from the states of Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Iowa, Oklahoma, Nebraska, Minnesota, North Dakota and South Dakota.

--NIU--