Women's Track and Field Tuesday, June 23, 2026 NWC Athletic Communications

Track & Field, XC Athletes Receive CSC Academic Awards

GREENWOOD, Ind. – Ten Northwestern track and field/cross country student-athletes have been recognized with College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-District honors. The men's team saw Drew Geetings, James Heinz, Jake Huston, Lane Johnson, and Carter Van Donge honored, and the women's team had Emma Blum, Emily DeGroot, Brielle Engelmann, Tierney Huss, and Kayden Spencer recognized for their work.

Men's Track & Field/Cross Country
Geetings, a senior management major from Pella, Iowa, competed in the high jump and javelin throw this season. He started the season with an event win at the Dordt Open, reaching 1.90m in the high jump before hitting his indoor season best of 1.92m at the Wildcat Invite. For the outdoor season, Geetings closed the season with his best jump of 1.94m at the Concordia Twilight. His top javelin throw was 49.78m at the Red Raider Open.

Heinz, a sophomore engineering major from Worthing, South Dakota, was a member of Northwestern's All-GPAC outdoor 4x400m team and competed individually in the 60m, 100m, 200m, and 400m. He posted PRs in the 400m at the Wildcat Invite (50.46) and the 200m at the Mount Marty Twilight (22.23).

Huston competed in both the cross country and track and field seasons, running in the 3K, 5K, and steeplechase in track. The sophomore biology health professions major from Pella, Iowa set PRs in cross country (27:09.8), the 3K (9:37.86), 5K (16:40.06), and steeplechase (10:20.06).

A junior elementary education major from Centerville, South Dakota, Johnson specialized in the pole vault in this year's indoor and outdoor seasons. His best height was at the Wildcat Classic on March 28, where he vaulted to 4.20m and finished third.

Van Donge, a sophomore business administration major from Sioux Falls, South Dakota, helped Northwestern to a GPAC title in the outdoor 4x100m relay and qualified for the NAIA Championships. Individually, he marked PRs in each event – 7.13 in the 60m, 52.29 in the 400m, 10.74 in the 100m, and 21.93 in the 200m.

Women's Track & Field/Cross Country
Blum ran in 16 meets between the indoor and outdoor seasons, earning All-GPAC honors in both the indoor and outdoor 400m. A senior marketing major from Bennington, Nebraska, Blum was a member of the 4x100 and 4x400m relays, and ran the 200m and 400m, winning the 400 at the Dennis Young Indoor Classic (58.80).

A national qualifier in cross country and track and field, DeGroot ran in distance events and relays this year. She was an All-GPAC performer in cross country, the indoor 5K, and the outdoor 1500m. A senior sport management major from Orange City, DeGroot set career marks in the 3K (10:38.86), Mile (5:22.68), 5K (18:35.56), 800m (2:23.21), and 1500m (4:43.81).

A junior psychology major from Storm Lake, Iowa, Engelmann was an indoor All-GPAC honoree in the 4x800m relay and competed in the relay at the NAIA Championships. This season, she reached PRs of 1:40.88 in the 600m and 1:02.00 in the 400m, winning the 400 at the Red Raider Open. She was also a member of the Raider cross country team, running in six races.

Huss, a multi-sport athlete in volleyball and track, is a sophomore exercise science major from Orange City. This season, she was an Indoor All-GPAC performer in the 60m and 200m, and Outdoor All-GPAC runner in the 100m and 200m. She competed in the 200m and 4x400m at the Indoor NAIA Championships and set program records in the indoor oversized 200m (25.20), outdoor 4x100m (47.70), and outdoor 100m (11.85).

In her first season at Northwestern, Spencer was a national qualifier in cross country and an All-GPAC runner in the indoor 5K and outdoor 10K. A junior management major from Ogden, Iowa, Spencer set PRs in the Mile (5:23.37), 3K (10:40.92), 10K (38:52.04), and cross country's 6K (23:09.8).

Academic All-America teams will be announced on Tuesday, July 14.

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Players Mentioned

Drew Geetings: 6' 5"; Senior

James Heinz: 6' 0"; Sophomore

Jake Huston: 5' 10"; Sophomore

Lane Johnson: 5' 11"; Junior

Carter Van Donge: 6' 0"; Freshman

Emma Blum: 5' 9"; Senior

Emily DeGroot: 5' 5"; Senior

Brielle Engelmann: 5' 7"; Junior

Tierney Huss: 5' 7"; Sophomore

Kayden Spencer: 5' 6"; Junior

Players Mentioned

Drew Geetings
: 6' 5"; Senior

James Heinz
: 6' 0"; Sophomore

Jake Huston
: 5' 10"; Sophomore

Lane Johnson
: 5' 11"; Junior

Carter Van Donge
: 6' 0"; Freshman

Emma Blum
: 5' 9"; Senior

Emily DeGroot
: 5' 5"; Senior

Brielle Engelmann
: 5' 7"; Junior

Tierney Huss
: 5' 7"; Sophomore

Kayden Spencer
: 5' 6"; Junior