Growing Northwestern cross country, one leader at a time

Looking back at the early days of her Northwestern tenure, cross country coach Jill Miller remembered a moment that might be familiar to anyone settling in a new job. Like a pinball machine, the bounces came fast — from all directions. With all the new responsibilities and challenges, she was in triage mode. But then she paused.

“I needed to just look up and see what was in front of me,” she said, referring to the athletic department’s infrastructure and student-athlete support system. “How can I optimize all that is at my fingertips here?”

Thanks to Northwestern’s “high-performance team” that includes a sports psychologist, athletic trainer, physician, nutritionist and strength coach, Miller said she benefits from being coached by many specialists.

“If you were once a great athlete, you probably had a great coach,” she said. “Then, if you become a coach, you sometimes lose that signal. I’m lucky to be surrounded by these people who can help make me better.”

Miller relies on that support system every day as she works to create a Northwestern cross country program that empowers and nurtures each student-athlete, which is one of the University’s priorities.

Since her arrival in 2019, it has been a program on the rise. In the past five years, the Wildcats have had their highest finish at the Big Ten Championships in 30 years, their highest Midwest Regional finish in 20 years and their first team NCAA qualification since 1985. Along the way, they broke several program records. They’ve also placed a runner in three consecutive NCAA championships.

Earlier this month, Miller signed a multi-year contract extension as she prepares to begin her sixth season at the helm.

In the meantime, the Wildcats will wind down the spring season with a trip to Philadelphia for the Penn Relays, the oldest and largest track and field meet in the U.S.

A graduate of Wake Forest University, Miller ran four times in the NCAA Cross Country Championships. As a coach, with previous posts at Brown, William & Mary and Wisconsin, she has led her student-athletes to 25 All-American performances and 27 All-Region performances, with six teams that finished in the top 20 nationally.

In her time at Northwestern, she already has helped develop three All-Big Ten Conference honorees and nine United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association All-Region selections.

“I can see how committed she is to creating a sustainable program,” said runner Kalea Bartolotto, who is finishing her fifth and final season on the team. “She truly believes that every woman that comes into our program has the power to make a difference — not only in our team score, but in the culture. She empowers all of us to be leaders.”