NORMAL, Ill. – At Saturday morning's MVC Championships, hosted by Missouri State, in Springfield, Missouri, junior Kyle Mattes placed third individually, earning All-MVC honors for the third consecutive year and helping the ISU men to a third place team finish.
After being named the MVC Freshman of the Year in 2015 and capturing a fourth-place finish at the 2016 MVC Championships, Mattes found success once again this year. His presence was commanding throughout the entire race, as he made his way to the front of the pack when the gun sounded and stayed strong in fifth place through 6K.
With 2,000 meters to go, Mattes, along with several other top runners, greatly increased their tempo and pulled away from the rest of the field. In what was now a three-man race, Mattes found himself neck-and-neck with Bradley runner (and eventual champion) Jake Hoffert and Loyola's Alex Baker with 200 meters remaining. While Mattes was unable to surpass the pair in the end, he captured the highest cross country championship finish of his career, placing third with a time of 24:42.56.
Besides Mattes, only three other runners in ISU history (Tony Daniel, Chris Bailey, and Christian Goy) have received All-Valley honors during their freshman, sophomore, and junior seasons.
"Kyle demonstrated a lot of poise and patience today," said Director of Cross Country and Track & Field Jeff Bovee. "He strategically placed himself right behind the leader, and the race was between him and three other fantastic runners down the stretch. Even though Kyle did not come out on top, today's race was one of the best races he has ever run as a Redbird."
The Redbird men, who were projected to finish fourth in the MVC pre-championship coaches poll, upset fourth-place Loyola to claim a third-place finish with 88 points. Including Mattes, the 'Birds were able to place four runners in the top-25, which ultimately fueled Illinois State's success. Cody Baele, Jack Anstey, and Scott Anderson, who were all running their first cross country championship race as Redbirds, placed 17th, 20th, and 21st, respectively. Thomas Thornton rounded out the scoring for ISU, finishing 27th overall.
"The men had their best race of the season today," Bovee said. "Everything didn't go perfectly, but they were tough and put it all out there. More importantly, we gained some great experience, and the fact that all eight men return next season bodes extremely well for the future."
Competing in a field where three teams were regionally-ranked by the USTFCCCA, the Illinois State women's cross country team finished sixth overall. The Redbirds were led by sophomore
Grace Beattie, who was the first 'Bird to cross the finish line in 18:05.84, placing 18th.
Senior Erica Brown was not far behind, recording a 26th place finish and posting a new 5K personal-record of 18:12.44 in the process. Completing the women's field for ISU were Dakota Roman, Lindsey Lewis, and Ashley England, whose time of 18:36.07 marks a season-best.
"We know today's race is not a reflection of the talent we have and the hard work we have put in this year," said Bovee. "However, this is a great learning opportunity, and we will be ready to go again in two weeks."
Bradley was the big winner on the day, as the men and women swept the 2017 MVC Cross Country Championships. The men, who beat Indiana State in a tie-breaker, claimed their third straight title. The women placed five runners in the top eight to win their third title in four years.
The Illinois State men's and women's cross country teams will be back in action on Nov. 10 when they travel to Ames, Iowa, to compete in the NCAA Midwest Regional.
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