Ashley Tutt finishes 80th at nationals

Northern Star file photo

Then-junior Ashley Tutt inches her way to a first-place finish Nov. 2, 2019 during the 2019 Mid-American Conference Championships hosted by NIU at the North 40 course.

By Abby Hostman

DeKALB — Senior Ashley Tutt completed her four-day stretch at nationals with an 80th-place finish, with a time of 21:22.8 at the NCAA Division I Cross Country Championship Monday at the Oklahoma State Cross Country Course in Stillwater, Oklahoma. 

Tutt moved up during the beginning of the race where she gained over 60 spots from the first kilometer until the midway point at the 3 kilometer mark where she was in 66th. For the back half of the race, she stayed  around mid-field where she finished inside the top-100 in a total field of 256. 

The 80th-place finish is the second-best by NIU at the NCAA Cross Country Championships. Her 50th-place finish last season is the highest at this event for a Huskie. 

This event wraps up a historic season for the NIU cross country team, especially with the first-ever Mid-American Conference title in school history.