KEVIN JENISON
GoSycamores.com
TERRE HAUTE, IND. ? Indiana State will seek their fifth men's championship in the last seven years and their second straight on Saturday when they compete in the 2010 State Farm Missouri Valley Conference Cross Country Championships. The men's team is the favorite to win the Championship according to a poll of league coaches that was released Tuesday by the league office.
The Sycamores received six first place votes and 78 points to edge Southern Illinois for the favorites roll. The Salukis garnered three first place votes and 75 points. The two teams were the co-favorites to win the title in the pre-season coaches poll.
“The pre-season poll is more a work of fiction because there really isn't anything to go on,” John McNichols, Indiana State men's cross country coach said. “The pre-championship poll has more validity because it reflects what has happened during the season.”
McNichols feels that the championship may come down to a battle between the Sycamores and Southern Illinois but several other teams will factor into the equation including Northern Iowa, Illinois State, and Drake.
“This will not be a dual meet which is what last year's championship turned into,” McNichols said. “Northern Iowa, Illinois State, and Drake are very capable of playing a big part in who takes home the trophy Saturday. At this point I really think that we are the best we have been all season. We are fit and really looking forward to the competition.”
Indiana State and Southern Illinois staged one of the greatest battles in league history during the 2009 championship in Peoria with the Sycamores edging pre-championship favorite SIU to claim the title by just a single point.
The third spot is expected to be a battle between Northern Iowa, Illinois State, and Drake according to the coaches poll. The Panthers were picked third with 55 points but the Redbirds are right behind with 53 points and the Bulldogs garnered 50 points. Bradley was picked sixth with 32 points, Wichita State seventh (28), Evansville eighth (22), and Creighton ninth (12).
The Sycamore women were picked to finish sixth in the women's cross country championship this year and John Gartland, Indiana State women's cross country coach, hopes that will further inspire his athletes.
“We have won two titles, finished second three times, and third five times during my tenure here,” Gartland said. “Rarely have we finished as far back as sixth. I believe that being picked that far back will serve as an inspiration to the team and they will take it as one of their goals to prove them wrong. I think that if we run up to our capabilities, we have a good chance to finish fourth or even higher depending on how the race unfolds. We just have to go out, run our best, and see where we end up.”
Gartland said that the low ranking in the poll may have come from the team's poor performance at the PreNational Invitational two weeks ago.
“We had problems seeing where we were at with so many runners in the race,” Gartland said. “That hindered their ability to gauge their race strategy and cost us at the finish. That won't be a problem this weekend with fewer runners. I expect us to be very competitive this weekend.”
Wichita State is the pre-championship favorite to win the women's title, receiving eight first place votes and 98 points. Illinois State is not far behind with two first place votes and 91 points. Missouri State was selected third (80), Bradley fourth (62), and Drake fifth (56). Indiana State was sixth (49) followed by Southern Illinois (45), Northern Iowa (36), Evansville (20), and Creighton (13).
The Sycamore men's team returns three All-Conference runners who finished in the top 10 a year ago including junior Jeremiah Vaughan (sixth), senior Michael Disher (seventh), and junior Craig Padgett (10th). Five ISU runners are in the top 20 this season in 8K times with three in the top 10: Disher fourth (24:31.00), Padgett sixth (24:43.00), and sophomore Albaro Escalera 10th (24:53.00). Vaughan is 14th (25:05.40) while junior Dustin Betz is 18th (25:15.00). Junior Andrew Lepkowski is just outside the top 20 with the 21st best time this season (25:20.50).
“The top 10 will be highly competitive this year,” McNichols said. “The team race may come down to the fourth and fifth runners or it may go down to the sixth and seventh runners. We are going to have to run a heck of a race to win this year but I think we are capable of it.”
McNichols credited Disher with a great job in leading the team.
“He has done a great job of training and in being the team leader,” McNichols said. “Disher, Padgett, Escalera, and Query are great long distance guys putting in 100 miles per week this season. Vaughan and Betz have been in the 90s and Lepkowski has come back from some illness and tendonitis earlier this season and is at his best of the season right now.”
Sophomore Brandon Query has had a great season so far and could figure in the outcome of the team race on Saturday. Junior Cody Siblisk is the eighth man on the team.
The Sycamore women will be led by returning All-Conference selection senior Allison Malone who finished seventh at the 2009 MVC Championship. Three ISU runners are in the top 25 in 5K times for the Valley this season led by Malone who has the 15th best time (18:22.00). Junior Kacie Klem has the 17th best time (18:28.00) while junior Jessica Zangmeister has the 24th best time (18:41.00).
“We have had a great tradition of having All-Conference runners,” Gartland said. “We have three that could finish in the top 10 this year and earn that recognition. Malone has been running hurt most of the season and still been our top runner. She is healthy now. Klem has been outstanding this year and Zangmeister has been getting better with each meet.”
One key to the success of the Sycamore women will come from the effort of sophomore Kylee Thacker and sophomore Andrea Prusz.
“Both have been outstanding this season,” Gartland said. “They may be the most important part of our team effort this weekend and I would not be surprised if they finish among the top runners.”
The secret weapon for Indiana State may be senior Bethany Scruton who was a top five runner for ISU a year ago but has struggled during the early races this year.
“She has really improved in recent weeks and I wouldn't be surprised to see her up back up among our top five,” Gartland said.
The 2010 State Farm Missouri Valley Conference Cross Country Championship will be held on Saturday at RAFT Golf Course in Augusta, Kan., and hosted by Wichita State University.
SYCAMORES IN THE RANKINGS ?
The Indiana State men's cross country team remained seventh in the seventh week of the Great Lakes Region rankings which was released Monday (Oct. 25).
Indiana and Wisconsin remained the top two teams in the region with Notre Dame moving up to third from fourth, Michigan State dropping from third to fourth, and Ohio State remaining fifth. Butler moved up five spots to sixth in this week's rankings followed by Indiana State, Eastern Michigan, Purdue, Dayton, Michigan, Cincinnati, Xavier, Kent State, and Ohio University.
Michigan State and Michigan remained the top two teams in the women's Great Lakes Region rankings. Toledo jumped past Indiana to take over third while the Hoosiers fell to fourth. Miami (Ohio) is fifth. They are followed by Ohio State, Central Michigan, Butler, Notre Dame, Ohio, Wisconsin, Dayton, Purdue, Oakland, and Cincinnati.
LIVE RESULTS ?
Live results from the MVC Championship can be found at: http://www.halfmiletiming.com/
CHAMPIONSHIP CENTRAL ?
Championship information can be found at: http://www.goshockers.com/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=36404&SPID=2902&DB_OEM_ID=7500&ATCLID=205008726
