KEVIN JENISON
GoSycamores.com
TERRE HAUTE, IND. ? The Indiana State cross country teams will be on the road this weekend to participate in the 2009 State Farm Missouri Valley Conference Cross Country Championships which will be held at the Newman Golf Course in Peoria, Ill. The meet is hosted by Bradley University.
The men's cross country team was picked to finish second in the championship in a vote of league coaches. The same coaches selected the Sycamore men to finish second in the pre-season poll. The women's cross country team was picked to finish sixth in the championships by the league coaches, again the same spot they held in the pre-season poll.
The men's 8K race will begin at 10:30 a.m. and the women's 5K race follows at 11:30 a.m. Defending champions Southern Illinois (men) and Wichita State (women) have been tabbed as the pre-meet favorites.
The Men's 8K course consists of two 2,000m loops. The first 2,000m loop (Start - 2K) is mostly flat and the second 2,000m loop (2K - 8K) is rolling hills and repeated for three laps.
The Women's 5K course consists of one 2,000m loop, followed by one 1,000m, and concludes with a 2,000m loop. The first 2,000m loop (Start - 2K) is mostly flat and nearly identical to the Men's opening loop (the exception is a very short addition to the north end of NGC). The second 1,000m loop (2K - 3K) is rolling and is the 3K-4K of the Men's Course. The final 2,000m loop (3K - 5K) is rolling hills and is the same for each race.
“I believe that this is one of the better teams that we have had here at Indiana State,” John McNichols, Sycamore men's cross country coach, said. “We have three returning All-Conference runners that have been pretty solid all year.”
Indiana State returns five runners who finished in the top 25 of the 2008 State Farm Missouri Valley Conference Cross Country Championships including All-Conference selections Scott Keeney (Frankfort, Ind., Senior), Michael Disher (Indianapolis, Ind., Junior), and Eric Schulz (New Albany, Ind., senior). Keeney finished third a year ago with Disher fourth and Schulz sixth, leading the Sycamores to a second place finish in the team standings.
Also returning is Craig Padgett (Mishawaka, Ind.,, Sophomore) who was 22nd a year ago, and Jeremiah Vaughan (Brookville, Ind., Sophomore) who was 25th in 2008) Junior Andrew Lepkowski (Waukesha, Wis.), a transfer from Lewis University, should also be in the mix as the Sycamores try to recapture the MVC championship for the first time since 2006.
“Padgett started to come on strong during last year's track season and hasn't let up,” McNichols said. “Vaughan also had an outstanding track season and has trained very hard through the summer and during the season.”
Indiana State has had four different runners lead them in races this season. Disher was the top ISU runner at the Evansville Mid-American Opener and the Indiana Intercollegiates, Padgett paced the Sycamore effort at the Bradley Open, Keeney led Indiana State at the Notre Dame Invitational, and Vaughan at the ISU Pre-National Invitational.
“We are going to have to run as a team for us to be successful,” McNichols said. “The strategy is to be aware of our teammates, stick with them, and take them with you when you make a charge.”
The pre-championship poll went about as McNichols expected.
“The coaches went through the results of the meets this season and made some logical choices as to where the schools will finish,” John McNichols, Indiana State men's cross country coach, said. “Southern Illinois is a very strong team with the top two runners in the conference.”
Southern Illinois received eight first place votes and 80 points to be the pre-championship favorite on the men's side while Indiana State received one first place vote and 73 points in being picked to finish second. Illinois State received 63 points in being picked to finish third.
“Can we surprise Southern Illinois,” McNichols said. “We could but it will take a total team effort and we are in a vulnerable position with Illinois State. We surprised both of those teams last year in finishing a strong second.”
Drake was picked fourth (43 points), Northern Iowa fifth (42), Wichita State sixth (38), Bradley seventh (34), Evansville eighth (21), and Creighton ninth (11).
On the women's side, Wichita State received eight first place votes and 93 points to be the pre-championship favorite. Illinois State was picked to finish second with 82 points. Bradley and Missouri State each received a first place vote with the Braves picked to finish third with 78 points and Missouri State fourth with 71.
Southern Illinois was picked fifth (67 points), Indiana State sixth (56), Northern Iowa seventh (38), Drake eighth (35), Creighton ninth (16), and Evansville 10th (14).
“I expected that we would be picked sixth this year,” John Gartland, Indiana State women's cross country coach said. “We finally have the team together and healthy and that makes me very optimistic that we could finish a lot higher up.”
The Sycamores were also picked to finish sixth in the pre-season poll of coaches but Gartland's optimism comes from the fact that his top three runners (Allison Malone, Kacie Klem, and Kayla Alexander) have been very strong so far this season.
Malone (Rensselaer, Ind., Junior) has had four top 10 finishes in four races this season. She ran the fourth fastest 6K in ISU history at the Bradley Classic on Oct. 16, finishing third overall with a time of 21:46. Malone was also eighth at the Notre Dame Invitational, 10th at the Indiana Intercollegiates, and second at the Bradley Open.
Klem (Huntingburg, Ind., Sophomore) has been the number two runner for the Sycamores, finishing 17th at the Bradley Classic, 19th at the Notre Dame Invitational, 13th at the Indiana Intercollegiates, and fifth at the Bradley Open. Alexander (Terre Haute, Ind., Senior) finished 36th at the Bradley Classic, 28th at the Notre Dame Invitational, and 27th at the Indiana Intercollegiates.
“Our problems have come at the final two scoring positions,” Gartland said. “But we have Julia (Costello) back and she should be in that mix.”
Costello (Clinton, Ind., Senior) suffered an injury during the Notre Dame Invitational and missed the Bradley Classic.
Bethany Scruton, Kylee Thacker and Emily Pugh also figure to be battling for the final two scoring spots for Indiana State.
“We also have a ringer,” Gartland said. “I asked Erica Moore, one of the greatest athletes in the history of Indiana State, men or women, to compete this weekend because of her fitness and competitiveness. You can see a change in the attitude of the team with her practicing with them. She also has a chance at a top five finish.”
SYCAMORES IN THE RANKINGS -
The Indiana State men's cross country team has moved up in the Great Lakes Region rankings as released this week by the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association. The Sycamores moved up to seventh following a very good showing at the ISU Pre-National Invitational.
Wisconsin remained the top team in the region with Butler second, Indiana third, Michigan fourth and Notre Dame fifth. Dayton leads the second five in sixth followed by Indiana State in seventh, Ohio State eighth, Michigan State ninth and Kent State 10th. The poll rounds out with Miami (Ohio) in 11th, Eastern Michigan 12th, Central Michigan 13th, Purdue 14th, and Marquette 15th.
SYCAMORES IN THE VALLEY -
Five of the top 10 men's 8K times in the Missouri Valley Conference have been posted by Indiana State runners. Craig Padgett is fifth with a time of 24:35 he ran at the Bradley Classic with Scott Keeney sixth after running 24:43 at the Notre Dame Invitational.
Eric Schulz is now eighth in the Valley with a time of 24:48 he posted at the Notre Dame Invitational. Dustin Betz is ninth at 24:52 (set at the Bradley Invitational) while Jeremiah Vaughan is 10th with a time of 24:56 he ran at the Notre Dame Invitational. Southern Illinois' Mohamed Mohamed has the top time of 24:03 with teammate Jeff Schirmer second at 24:07, both set at the Notre Dame Invitational.
The Indiana State women had one runner in the top 10 of the Missouri Valley Conference Women's 5K as Allison Malone is currently ninth with a time of 18:00 that she ran at the Notre Dame Invitational. She also has the sixth best time in Women's 6K at 21:46, a time she ran at the Bradley Classic.
