KEVIN JENISON

GoSycamores.com

TERRE HAUTE, IND. ? The Indiana State men's cross country team opened their season Saturday morning with a second place finish in the Evansville Mid-America Opener. The Sycamores had 38 points after the men's 6K run with Louisville winning the event with 20 points.

“Louisville has a very good team and should be ranked next week,” John McNichols, Indiana State men's cross country coach, said. “They should make the nationals out of the south region.

“We held our own, though, and this was a very good start for our guys,” McNichols said. “The course was altered a bit but from the times at the 5K you could see that our guys are really fit.”

Sycamore junior Michael Disher led the ISU contingent, finishing fourth with a time of 18:14.97. Junior Andrew Lepkowski, a transfer from Lewis University who won the Sycamore Pride event last weekend, was second for the Sycamores and sixth overall with a time of 18:22.83.

“It was a good race,” Disher said. The course was a little bit tough with a lot of holes but all-in-all; it was a pretty fast course. We all kind of hung out together for the first 3K and then made our individual moves. Once we get the other guys running I think that we should be a pretty tough team to beat.”

They were followed by senior Eric Schulz in seventh with a time of 18:23.31 and senior Scott Keeney, who was eighth with a time of 18:23.71. Tyler Kent, a junior who transferred to Indiana State from Vincennes University, was 13th overall with a time of 18:51.68.

“The younger guys will get their chance at the Bradley Invitational next week,” McNichols said. “That will be a chance for them to step up, to show what they can do, and to put the team right on their own backs.”

The Indiana State women open their season on Friday (Sept. 11) when they will join the men's team at the Bradley Invitational.