NORMAL, Ill. – The Illinois State men's and women's cross country teams begin the 2017 season Friday when they travel to Iowa to compete in the Hawkeye Invitational. The meet, which will take place on the Ashton Cross Country Course, is scheduled to start at 6 p.m. with the women's 4K. The men's 6K will follow at 6:45 p.m.
"The 'Birds are thrilled to get the season underway on Friday after a long summer training season," said Director of Cross Country and Track & Field Jeff Bovee. "We will be very competitive, as each team prepared well this off-season. We will certainly know much more about our team after this competitive opportunity."
At this year's Hawkeye Invitational, the Redbirds will face Iowa State, Iowa Central, Drake, Creighton, MVC-foe Northern Iowa, and the host team, Iowa.
After finishing fourth at the 2016 MVC Championships, the ISU men's cross country team was picked to finish second in the MVC in the 2017 Pre-Season Poll. They enter Friday's race ranked 15th in the Midwest Region, according to the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) Pre-Season Regional Rankings. The ISU women's cross country team was selected fourth for 2017 in the MVC Pre-Season Poll after placing fifth at the 2016 MVC Championships.
On the men's side, senior Wes Ward and junior Connor Ehnle will provide experience for the Redbird squad after competing in the Hawkeye Invitational last season. Freshmen Scott Anderson, Colton Bell, and Jake Gillum will look to have strong outings in their Illinois State debut.
For the women, the Redbirds will look to senior Lindsey Lewis for leadership. At last year's Hawkeye Invitational, Lewis finished just steps behind two-time MVC Runner-Up Ariel Michalek, placing 19th overall. Sophomore Dakota Roman will also be a face to watch after being the first Redbird to cross the finish line and placing 12th overall at the Hawkeye Invitational last season. Freshmen Meagan Biddle and Audrey Janik will look to get their collegiate cross country careers off to a good start in their first race as Redbirds.
For live results, click here, or follow live action on Twitter via @Redbird_TrackXC. A live stream will be available on hawkeyesports.com as well.
Full coverage will also be available on www.GoRedbirds.com following the conclusion of the meet.
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