Northover attended Northeastern University in Boston, Massachusetts, where she competed on the women's track and field team, and graduated in 2007 with a bachelor's degree in communications and a minor in political science.
As a senior, Northover was named Colonial Athletic Association Field Athlete of the Year after winning the shot put, discus and hammer and placing seventh in the javelin, helping lead Northeastern to their first CAA title in any sport.
[2] Her throw at the Eastern College Athletic Conference Championship during the 2007 outdoor season set both Northeastern and ECAC records.
[6] On June 8, 2008, Northover won the Island Games in Uniondale, New York, with a throw of 17.56 meters, allowing her to compete in the Jamaican Olympic Trials in Kingston, Jamaica.
[7][8][9] She won the shot put at the Olympic Trials on June 28, 2008, with a throw of 16.78 meters.