CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - The Illinois Fighting Illini cross country team is set to conclude their 2020-21 season on Monday, March 15 at the NCAA Championships. The meet will take place at the Oklahoma State Cross Country Course in Stillwater, Okla. and the first race, the women's 6k, will begin at 11:50 a.m. The men's 10k race will follow at 12:40 p.m.
The No. 16 Illinois women's team qualified for the championship meet as well as senior Jon Davis of the men's team who qualified as an individual.
Follow the Meet
Fans can stream the 2020 NCAA Championships live results at https://live.pttiming.com/XC-PTT.html?mid=2124 . Streams will also be available via ESPNU or the ESPN app, coverage will begin at 11:30 a.m. Fans can follow @IlliniTrackXC on Twitter and Instagram for updates during the meet. Results will be posted on fightingillini.com at the conclusion of the race, as well as a recap of the day's competition.
Illini Traveling to NCAA Championships
11:50 a.m. - Women's 6k: Rebecca Craddock, Ayah Aldadah, Olivia Howell, Allison McGrath, Katie Hohe, Madison Marasco, Mikaela Lucki, Emma Milburn
12:40 p.m. - Men's 10k: Jon Davis
Coach Haveman On NCAA Championships
"We are very proud of the women and Jonathan for advancing to this year's NCAA Championships. It is a testament to their hard work, focus, and diligence during this difficult year. They are ready and look to take advantage of their opportunity."
A Look at The Competition
The Illini women's team will be joined by 30 other elite teams from across the nation and 38 individuals that qualified on their own. Davis will run with the 31 men's teams that qualified and the 37 other qualifying individuals.
The women are one of five Big Ten teams that were invited, including No. 17 Indiana, Michigan, Michigan State and No. 11 Minnesota. Illinois took third place at the Big Ten Championships earlier this season.
All-American Team Selections
The All-American teams will be determined by the placement of this race. Runners finishing in the top forty (without regard to citizenships as long as their team is USTFCCCA certified) will receive USTFCCCA All-American honors.
Illini History at NCAA Championships
At the 2019 NCAA Championships, the Illini women's team finished in 22nd place (549) points, led by current senior Allison McGrath's 65th place finish with a time of 21:02.3.
Their highest placement as a team came in 2005 when the Illini finished in fifth place, led by All-American Cassie Hunt's 11th overall finish with a 20:05.
The last time Illinois men's cross country competed at the NCAA Championships was in 2016 when the team qualified. They finished in 23rd place (564 points). The highest individual finisher in Illini history was Craig Virgin in 1975, when he won the race in 28:23.3 and led the team to a tenth place finish.
Illini Women's Past NCAA Championships Team Results
Year Champion (Pts.) ILL (Pts.) Top Illini (Finish, Time)
2019 Arkansas (96) 22nd (549) Allison McGrath (65th, 21:02.3)
2009 Villanova (86) 12th (365) Angela Bizzarri (1st, 19:46)
2008 Washington (79) 10th (318) Angela Bizzarri (6th, 19:59)
2007 Stanford (145) 6th (331) Angela Bizzarri (14th, 20:35)
2006 Stanford (195) 8th (301) Angela Bizzarri (24th, 21:18)
2005 Stanford (146) 5th (212) Cassie Hunt (11th, 20:05)
2004 Colorado (63) 20th (443) Jaime Turilli (35th, 21:20)
Experienced Illini
The Illini will travel with six female runners with experience at the NCAA Championships from 2019: senior Rebecca Craddock, senior Allison McGrath, junior Emma Milburn, senior Nicki Cast, junior Madison Marasco and sophomore Olivia Howell.
Craddock finished in ninth place at the Big Ten Championships and has been the Illini's top performer at B1G's for the last four years. At last year's NCAA Championships she finished in 159th place with a 21:43.1.
McGrath finished in 13th place at the Big Ten Championships in January. At last year's NCAA Championships she led the squad, finishing in 65th place with a 21:02.3.
Milburn took 19th place at the Big Ten Championships in January with a time of 21:08.5. Last year at the NCAA Championships, she finished in 166th in 21:45.2, the fourth fastest Illini.
Cast finished at the Big Ten Championships in 79th place in 22:36.9. She placed 217th at last year's NCAA Championships.
Marasco was the second highest scorer for the Illini in 2019, finishing in 130th place in 21:27.9. She did not run at the Big Ten Championships this year
Howell looks to add to her elite 2020-21 after winning the mile at the Big Ten Indoor Track Championships in Geneva, Ohio two weeks ago. At the Big Ten XC Championships in January, she placed 36th with a time of 21:32.4. Last year at the NCAA Championships she took 221st place.
On the men's side, Jon Davis holds two years of experience at the NCAA Championships, including an 80th place finish in 2016 and a 49th place finish in 2017. Davis placed second overall in a nail-biter of a race at the Big Ten Championships in January with a time of 24:01.8.
