DeKALB, Ill. – The Mid-American Conference poll ranked the Northern Illinois University cross country team fifth, the highest in school history, before its first race of the season at the Illini Challenge in Champaign, Ill. set for Friday.
 
The Huskies will take on host school Illinois ranked seventh in the region and Northwestern another in-state Big Ten program. Coming into the race, head coach Adrian Myers is taking a more laid back expectation.
 
"It will be more about race plan expectation rather than going for times or anything like that," said Myers. "I think that if we just execute our race plan as expected, I think we'll do pretty well. Fortunately we get to face two of the in-state Big Ten programs. It will be a nice mark for us to start the year off facing two regional foes but also two top programs in the state of Illinois."
 
The Huskies have been preparing for the season, and junior front-runner Kelsey Hildreth (Byron, Ill./Byron) is back in action after a calf injury following the Mid-American Conference Championships.
 
"She's training well," said Coach Myers of Hildreth. "It's the best shape she's ever been in. [Her] injury is completely a nonfactor, so I'm not worried about it at all. I expect her to lead the program again this year. I think this is the year that she can show her prowess and dominance at this level."
 
Hildreth is accompanied by several returning Huskies that are expected to help towards having a great season. The returning Huskies include senior Carly Pederson (Bloomington, Ill./Normal Community), sophomores Maura Beattie (Woodstock, Ill./Woodstock) and Ericka Hibser (Lewistown, Ill./Lewistown) as well as spring transfer Hope Schmelzle (Wheaton, Ill./Purdue).
 
Coach Myers is anticipating a big season for the Huskies with Hildreth and Schmelzle being the two to pace the rest of the team. After placing fifth at the Big Ten Conference Championships last year as a runner on the Purdue cross country team, Schmelzle transferred to NIU and competed on the track and field team last spring.
 
"It's kind of a special situation for me in that I have that much talent in one area," said Coach Myers of Hildreth and Schmelzle. "They benefit each other because they push and pull each other to be better every day, and they both have similar goals."
 
The Huskies aren't expecting everything from the veterans. They are also looking to three-time Illinois state high school cross country medalist and two-time state track medalist freshman Vivian Overbeck (Vernon Hills, Ill./Vernon Hills).
 
"She has been hanging well in the workouts, right in the top-five," Myers said. "She's somebody that will come in and make an immediate impact and help us in our scoring contingent."
 
The Illini Challenge will conclude with a team score based on finishing positions for each school's top-five finishers.
 
–NIU–