TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Indiana State cross country competes at the LaVern Gibson Championship Cross Country Course for the first of three times Saturday when it plays host to the John McNichols Invitational.
The men's 8k race is slated to begin at 9 a.m., with the women's 5k race to follow at 9:45 a.m.
| 2022 John McNichols Invitational |
| Date |
Saturday, September 17 | 9 a.m. (men's 8k) // 9:45 a.m. (women's 5k) |
| Location // Venue |
Terre Haute, Ind. // LaVern Gibson Championship Cross Country Course |
| Preview Info |
Meet Information // $5 Spectator Parking Fee (to be paid at the course) |
| Live Results |
Live Results Feed |
| Social Media |
@IndStXCTF // @IndStAthletics |
Who's in the Field?
The Sycamores will be joined by Belmont, Evansville, Fontbonne, Franklin, Illinois, Indiana State, IUPUI, Louisville, Milwaukee, Missouri, Missouri State, Oakland City, Purdue, Purdue Fort Wayne, Rose-Hulman, Southern Illinois, Toledo, UIC, UIndy, Vincennes, Wabash College and Xavier (La.).
14 of the 22 competing schools are Division I members, including six Missouri Valley Conference schools and 10 teams in the most recent USTFCCCA regional rankings (Illinois men and women, Missouri men and women, Purdue men and women, Toledo men and women, Belmont men, IUPUI men). In addition, Illinois' women's team enters Saturday's meet ranked 27th nationally.
Last Time Out
Jackson Krieg ran a career-best 8k time to win the individual title, while Indiana State men's cross country took the team title at the season-opening EIU Walt Crawford Open. The team title was the first by an Indiana State cross country team, men or women, since 2014, when the Sycamore men took home the MVC Championship.
Krieg's time of 25:12.2 was 43 seconds faster than his previous best, as he finished 11 seconds ahead of second place. As a team, Indiana State had four top-10 finishers and three of the top six with Krieg (first),
Layton Hall (fifth) and
Cael Light (sixth). Hall's time of 25:46.8 was also a personal record, shattering his previous best time by nearly a full minute, while Light ran a season-opening time of 25:49.6.
On the women's side,
Morgan Dyer earned a top-10 finish to begin the season, placing seventh with a 5k time of 18:55.1. Dyer's time broke her previous personal best by more than 45 seconds.
Sara Skaff also had a top-20 finish for the Trees, placing 17th in her collegiate debut with a time of 19:30.0.
Trees at the Top
Jackson Krieg's 2022 debut was one to remember, as he used a strong final kilometer to overtake a pair of Eastern Illinois runners on his way to the individual title at the Walt Crawford Open.
Krieg was one of five Sycamores to earn a top-10 finish in the season-opening meet, with
Layton Hall (fifth),
Cael Light (sixth) and
Jason Dworak (ninth) doing so on the men's side and
Morgan Dyer (seventh) accomplishing the feat on the women's side.
Home Sweet Home
Indiana State has a rare opportunity in store this season, as the Sycamores will compete at the LaVern Gibson Championship Cross Country Course for three of its six meets.
In addition to Saturday's John McNichols Invitational, Indiana State will play host to the MVC Cross Country Championships in October and the NCAA Great Lakes Regional in November. It will be the fourth conference championship and seventh NCAA Regional that the Sycamores have hosted.
What's Up Next?
Indiana State heads south for the Live in Lou Cross Country Classic October 1.
