TERRE HAUTE, Ind. ? The Indiana State cross country regular season will come to an end on Saturday, as both the men's and women's teams will travel to Cedar Falls, Iowa, for the 2007 State Farm Missouri Valley Conference Cross Country Championship hosted by Northern Iowa. The event will kick off with the men's 8k race at 11:30 a.m. EST at the Pheasant Ridge Golf Course and will be followed by the women's 5k race.
The men's squad heads into the championships looking to win its fourth-consecutive conference title, after winning the last two outright and sharing the title in 2004. Despite their past successes, the Sycamores were picked to finish third in this year's pre-championship poll, as voted on by the league coaches. Southern Illinois was tabbed as the favorite, followed by Illinois State in second place ahead of Indiana State in third.
“I think that the other coaches in the league made a logical choice picking us third heading into the race based on our performances throughout the season,” said men's head coach John McNichols. “Southern Illinois has had a great year and Illinois State has improved tremendously from last year and is in a position to contend. As for us, we are very young but we have some good experience as well. So, I think we are as ready as we can be with the team that we'll put on the course and the one thing we have in our favor is that we've won in the past and that could really help.”
ISU lost three of its top four runners from last year's championship team, but returns sophomore Scott Keeney who finished eighth in last year's race for the Sycamores and earned all-conference accolades. He will be joined by senior Tony McDaniel, who was an all-conference runner in 2005 after finishing in ninth place in that race.
“I really expect Scott Keeney to finish well after being named an all-conference runner in last year's race,” said McNichols. “Tony McDaniel is a senior and former all-conference performer and has been training extremely well heading into the race. Also, Randy Placencia is capable of doing some incredible things and I've never had an athlete train as strong and as well as he does. So, with those guys as well as the rest of the team, I think we have a strong group.”
On the women's side, the Sycamores were picked to finish seventh in the race based on the pre-championship poll. Wichita State was named the favorite, followed by Missouri State, Illinois State, Northern Iowa, Southern Illinois and Drake. ISU was the seventh team, followed by Bradley, Creighton and Evansville.
“The other coaches have picked us to finish in seventh place and based on how we've performed this season, that's pretty objective,” said women's head coach John Gartland. “I still have hopes that we will continue to improve and finish in the top half. We've made some significant strides in training over the past few weeks and I'm hoping we can finish higher than we've been picked.”
ISU will be led by sophomore and Terre Haute native Kayla Alexander, who was chosen as the MVC Cross Country Female Athlete of the Week on September 18. She has been the top finisher for the Sycamores in every race this season and currently holds the fourth-fastest time in the Valley this year in the 5k with a time of 17:54.
“Kayla Alexander has led us all year,” said Gartland. “Her goal heading into this race is to be in the top 10 and earn all-conference honors. Based on the way she has performed all season, I have no reason to doubt that she will be able to achieve that goal.”
