CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Illinois State Ryan Bybee placed eighth at Illini Open with a time of 26:05.5. He was the first Redbird to cross the finish line for the men. On the women's side, Kennidi Knoblock was the first to finish for the Redbirds with a 5K time of 19:14.94. Lesly Rocha was not far behind, finishing with a time of 19:16.70.
"The men ran very well today," Illinois State Director of Track and Field/Cross Country Jeff Bovee said. "Ryan Bybee ran his best race of the season. He came out wanting to finish in the top-10 and he achieved it."
For the men, Paul Steeno was the second Redbird to cross the finish line with a time of 26:16.1 and placed 13th overall. Aidan Askin and Wes Ward picked up times of 26:39.1 and 26:53, respectively. Redshirt freshman Connor Ehnle competed in his second race of the season and crossed the finish line with a time of 27:01.5.
"On the women's side, Kennidi Knoblock and Lesly Rocha had very nice performances today," said Bovee. "Rocha did not compete at Bradley and it was nice to see her out on the course this week. She came out strong and I like how aggressive she was. Knoblock gradually worked her way up during this race and had a very nice finish"
For the women, Rachel Devereux crossed the finish line with a time of 19:37.58. Lindsey Lewis and Sarah Voss picked up times of 20:04.76 and 20:24.87, respectively.
"Overall, I am please will both men and women today," Bovee said.
Both men's and women's are back in action at the Missouri Valley Conference Championships on Oct. 31, more information to follow in the upcoming week. Fans can follow live action on Twitter via @Redbird_TrackXC, or go to 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.
