TERRE HAUTE, Ind. – Indiana State cross country heads to northeast Ohio Friday, as the Sycamores are set to compete in the NCAA Great Lakes Regional at Silver Creek Metro Park.
 
The women's 6k race will run at 11 a.m., with the men's 10k race set for noon.
 
Last Time Out
Emma Gresham broke her own program record in the 6k Friday afternoon on her way to capturing the MVC Women's Cross Country individual title at Pheasant Ridge Golf Course.
 
Gresham clocked a time of 20:09.7, breaking her own program record by 26 seconds and became the first Sycamore to win the MVC Cross Country individual title on the women's side since 2003. Erica Barker also placed in the top-five with a time of 20:31.6 as Indiana State earned a second-place finish as a team on the women's side, the program's best since 1997.
 
Emerson Fayman led the way for the Indiana State men, placing 23rd with a time of 24:09.8. Layton Hall (24:17.7), Ryan Handy (24:29.9), Ryan York (24:31.8) and Jason Dworak (24:41.0) all carded top-40 finishes for the Sycamores, who placed fifth as a team.
 
Regional Format
The NCAA Great Lakes Regional consists of all Division I schools from Ohio, Indiana, Wisconsin and Michigan. The top two men's and women's team at the NCAA Great Lakes Regional will automatically qualify for the NCAA Cross Country National Championships, with at-large bids also up for grabs for high-ranking teams which don't finish in the top two at their respective regional.
 
In addition to the team qualifiers, the top four individuals not from a team which qualifies for the national championships will also earn a spot in the NCAA Cross Country National Championships field, with two individual at-large berths also up for grabs.
 
Wisconsin and Notre Dame enter as the top teams on both sides.
 
Conditions for the Great Lakes Regional will be cold and damp, with rain hitting the Akron-Norton area throughout Thursday's practice day on the course.
 
NCAA Regional History
Indiana State has had 38 all-region honorees in program history, with the Sycamores' last all-region selection coming in 2018. The Trees have also had 16 athletes advance to the NCAA National Championships in program history, with Akis Medrano being the last to do so in 2018.
 
Indiana State's tradition is among the best in the region, featuring multiple All-Americans. John Mascari won back-to-back NCAA Regionals in 2013 and 2014, earning All-America honors in both seasons, while Jessica Crowder earned All-America honors in 2003. Debbi Ramseyer placed in the top five in back-to-back regional appearances in 1992 and 1993.
 
Climbing The Ranks
Indiana State earned USTFCCCA Great Lakes Region rankings on both the men's and women's side for the first time since 2018 this season, with the Sycamores looking to continue their upward trajectory at the NCAA Great Lakes Regional.
 
The Sycamores have checked in at No. 11 on the women's side in each of the last two weeks, with the Trees looking to break into the top 10 to close the season. Indiana State also spent a week in the polls on the men's side at No. 15, with the Sycamores looking to close the season back in the region ranks.
 
Record Setter
Indiana State sophomore Emma Gresham has already broken three program records this season, running the fastest 4k, 5k and 6k times in program history. Gresham clocked a 4k time of 14:14.8 in the season opener at Indiana and ran a 5k time of 16:58.6 in the Sycamores' most recent meet at Notre Dame. She recently broke the program record in the 6k on her way to an MVC individual title, running a time of 20:09.7.
 
Gresham's record-setting performances have helped Indiana State to first-place finishes at both the Sam Bell Invitational (Indiana) and Joe Piane Invitational (Notre Dame). The Sycamores placed second in the John McNichols Invitational behind only Michigan, a team ranked among the best in the Great Lakes region, and fourth at the Bradley Pink Classic. Indiana State finished second as a team at the MVC Championships, its highest finish since 1997.
 
Follow the Sycamores
For the latest information on the Sycamore Cross Country teams, make sure to check out GoSycamores.com. You can also find the team on social media including Facebook and Twitter. Fans can also receive updates on Sycamore Athletics by downloading the March On App from the both the App Store and the Google Play Store.