BOWLING GREEN, Ohio – The Northern Illinois University women's cross country team opened its 2020 season on Saturday afternoon (Nov. 7) at Bowling Green's Falcon Invitational with a fourth-place team finish. Ashley Tutt (Channahon, Ill./Minooka) finished third individually to pace the Huskies with a time of 21:35.5.

Competing for the first time in nearly a calendar year, NIU had six runners finish in the top-30, led by Tutt's third-place finish. Bowling Green's Kailee Perry won the individual title on her home course with a time of 21:09.5, Toledo's Semra Karaslan was just ahead of Tutt with a time of 21:27.4 on the six-kilometer course. 

Mackenzie Callahan (Minooka, Ill./Minooka) was the second Huskie to cross the line, finishing in a time of 22:25.0, to take 15th. Sara Atkins (Warrenville, Ill./Wheaton Warrenville South) clocked a time of 22:44.7 to finish 23rd, Brooke Lytle (Waukesha, Ill./Waukesha West) claimed 26th with a time of 22:57.6, Hannah Ricci (Naperville, Ill./Naperville North) finished 28th in 23:01.0 while Janae Dean (Hoffman Estates, Ill./Hoffman Estates), making her NIU debut, was 30th in 23:09.2. 

Toledo earned the team title at the Falcon Invitational with 54 points, followed by Miami and host Bowling Green who finished just eight points ahead of the Huskies. 

NIU will return to action in two weeks on Saturday, November 21, when it competes in the Mid-American Conference Championship. The site of the championship is to be determined. 

Team Standings
1. Toledo, 54
2. Miami, 63
3. Bowling Green, 84
4. NIU, 92
5. Ohio, 122
6. Ball State, 128
7. Central Michigan, 180
8. Western Michigan, 196

NIU Individual Finishes
3. Ashley Tutt, 21:35.5
15. Mackenzie Callahan, 22:25.0
23. Sara Atkins, 22:44.7
26. Brooke Lytle, 22:57.6
28. Hannah Ricci, 23:01.0
30. Janae Dean, 23:09.2
49. Kaitlin Miller, 23:48.3
57. Victoria Robinson, 24:04.9
64. Nora Finegan, 24:21.7
72. Julia Finegan, 24:37.1