MACOMB, Ill. – Junior Ashley Tutt (Channahon, Ill./Minooka) won the individual title and the Northern Illinois University cross country team claimed the team crown at the Western Illinois Early Bird Invite on Friday evening at Spring Lake Park. 

Tutt set a new four-kilometer course record with a time of 14:10.5 while second-place finisher Mackenzie Callahan (Minooka, Ill./Minooka) and third-place finisher Ericka Hibser (Lewistown, Ill./Lewistown) also broke the previous mark of 14:23.4 set by Kristen Garwood of Hannibal-Lagrange in 2015. Callahan's second-place time was 14:20.8 while Hibser crossed the line with a time of 14:21.8 to take third. 

NIU scored 16 points to easily earn the team title over Bradley who finished in second with 54 points. 

"I was very pleased with our efforts today," said NIU cross country head coach Adrian Myers. "The women executed our plan to race well within ourselves and walk away with a strong team, pack performance. We want to be physically read to race at home next weekend in the Huskie Challenge. 

"Our top four looked very strong tonight and I cannot wait to see what they are capable of in November. If we can continue to push that group ahead, they are very hard to separate in competition. Freshmen Kaitlin Miller and Brooke Lytle keep progressing week after week and we expect big jumps by them in October. I am very pleased with their maturity and attention to doing the little things and expect to see constant improvement. 

"Ashley Tutt redshirted last track season and she has really looked fantastic these last couple weeks of training. She picked up the win and a new course record tonight, that's a fun way to start the season."

Along with Tutt, Callahan and Hibser, senior Vivian Overbeck (Vernon Hills, Ill./Vernon Hills) completed a Huskie sweep of the top-four spots with a finishing time of 14:26.3. 

NIU will compete on campus in DeKalb next Friday, September 6, as it hosts the Huskie Challenge on the North 40 Course. The 6K women's race will begin at 5 p.m.


Team Standings
1. NIU, 16
2. Bradley, 54
3. Western Illinois, 78
4. Webster, 92
5. Carl Sandburg College, 144

NIU Individual Finishers
1. Ashley Tutt, 14:10.5
2. Mackenzie Callahan, 14:20.8
3. Ericka Hibser, 14:21.8
4. Vivian Overbeck, 14:26.3
6. Sara Atkins, 14:58.3
9. Kaitlin Miller, 15:09.9
11. Megan Biddle, 15:13.7
12. Brooke Lytle, 15:16.2
17. Maggie Cavanaugh, 15:35.3
19. Mercer Mack, 15:45.2
30. Sarah Virgo, 17:26.3