Sept. 15, 2008
NEW ORLEANS -
The Illinois State men's and women's cross country teams were ranked No. 10 and 15, respectively, in the NCAA Division I Cross Country Midwest Regional Poll as announced by the U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) Monday.
Head coach Jeff Bovee feels that the regional ranking validates that the Illinois State cross country teams are on the rise; however, he and his teams are not getting too excited.
"The preseason rankings do not surprise me," said Bovee. "On the women's side, we lost our top performer in Suzy Turner. A lot of people are wondering who is going to fill her position on the women's side. These polls are based on tradition, and it has been several years since our team has finished in the top-10 at the regional meet. We plan on changing that, and intend to finish higher than our preseason rankings."
Last season, the Redbird men's cross country team finished 11th at the NCAA Midwest Regional, while the women's t squad placed 14th.
The 2008 season is just beginning to warm up. In its first competition of the season at the Illini Challenge (Aug. 29), the women's team was keyed by sophomore Jess Husted's second-place finish, as the Redbird women won the meet with six runners crossing the finish line in the top-10 of the 4K race. The men's team took second and was led by junior Rob Barkulis, who finished eighth.
The regionally-ranked Redbird cross country teams will next compete at the Illinois Intercollegiate Championships Friday at 4:30 p.m. at the Weibring Golf Club at Illinois State University.
