Most runners on NIU cross country are recruited from states in the Midwest. Junior Claire McAuley and sophomore Juliane Totzke are two exceptions.

McAuley, a native of Glasgow, Scotland, set club records in the 300-meter and 1500-meter her sophomore year in high school. She was also a gold medalist for the Glasgow School of Sports in the 3000-meter as a sophomore.

McAuley’s transition to the U.S. has had its ups and downs, as she started off home-sick but has become comfortable at NIU.

“At first when I came here it was really tough,” McAuley said. “Being away from home and not having my parents around made it tough. I really like the people here, they make it easier. Everyone is really friendly, which I like a lot. Having a good sports system also helps a lot, like having my coach and my friends around help, which really is the best thing that helped me.”

Coach Greg Hipp is glad McAuley decided to come to NIU because she brings a lot to the team.

“Claire has a very competitive mentality,” Hipp said. “She really adds a lot to our team’s culture. She is quickly moving herself into a position where she can help us more in competition to win events.”

Last year, McAuley had a career-best 5K time of 19:10.60 at the Sean Earl Loyola Lakefront Invitational.

The other player from overseas is Totzke, who is from Graefenroda, Germany. Her 10K time of 35:21 was the second-fastest in the U20 age group while in Germany. Totzke was ranked fourth in Germany for the 5K with a time of 17:27.

Hipp found out about Totzke through another coach and began to recruit her.

“Claire was here before I got here, and I found out about Juliane through another coach,” Hipp said. “We look for people who fit our standards and cultural at NIU. We do look first in the state [and] then the border states. Sometimes that does mean we have to look outside the general area. Juliane fit what we were looking for.”

Hipp enjoys the diversity that the girls bring to the team and campus.

“Just like anything else on campus, diversity help to have,” Hipp said. “Diversity can help with the overall experience for students all around campus and the same can be said for your team. Whether they are from a small town in Wisconsin to a city in Germany, they all bring a different perspective to help us all get better.”