NORMAL, Ill. –The Illinois State men's and women's cross country teams kick off the 2014 season Friday, at Zimmer course in Madison, Wisconsin, as the Redbirds are set to compete in the Wisconsin Badger Season Opener.
The women, racing 4,000-meters, are slated for a 5 p.m. start time, while the men's 6K is set to begin at 5:30 p.m.
Last season both the men's and women's squad captured third-place finishes at the Missouri Valley Conference Championships, with the women's team finishing in 11th-place at the Midwest regional and the men taking 15th. Â
The ISU men's cross country team was selected to finish second in the Missouri Valley Conference for the 2014 season, while the women were tabbed third in the preseason poll.
Ryan Rutherford looks to lead the Redbird men's team this upcoming season, after earning All-Valley accolades with a second-place finish at the 2013 Valley Championships. Adding to his list of accomplishments, Rutherford notched All-Midwest honors for a 20th-place finish in Ames, Iowa, and broke the Illinois State school record with an 8K time of 23:50. Rutherford also boasted two second-place finishes at the MVC Outdoor Track and Field Championships, earning All-Valley honors, accompanying his 18th-place finish at the NCAA West Regional and ISU records in the 5K and 10K.
The Redbirds also return MVC honorable mention Tyler Morse who finished 14th at last year's Championships. Senior Sean Senf will look to captain his team to a Valley title, while junior Dave Eckhart and sophomore Jeff Bajema will be assets for the ISU squad as well.
Senior Kim Christensen will look to lead the women's squad, after earning honorable mention All-Valley honors at last year's MVC Championships, while junior Kelly McShea will also look to captain her team for the 2014 campaign. McShea was a consistent top-five Redbird finisher, narrowly missing honorable mention accolades at the 2013 MVC Championships with a 17th-place finish. The women will also look to its six newcomers to be assets for the Redbird group.
Follow @ISU_Track_XC for up-to-date information, or go to www.GoRedbirds.com for full coverage, following the conclusion of the meet.
GoRedbirds.com: Your online source for Illinois State Athletics tickets, Weisbecker Scholarship Fund gifts, multimedia, Redbird merchandise, photos and more.
