NORMAL, Ill. – The Illinois State men's and women's cross country teams are set to host the annual Illinois State Invitational on Friday at the ISU Cross Country Course, located at the Weibring Golf Club. The women's 5K is slated to begin at 5 p.m., followed by the men's 8K at 5:45 p.m.
This year's race will feature nine teams, including both the men's and women's Redbird squads. The field will be extremely competitive, as Wisconsin, whose men are the defending Big Ten Champion, and Toledo, a perennial Mid-American Conference contender, will both be in attendance. Illinois-Chicago, Loyola, Southern Illinois-Edwardsville, and Western Illinois, as well as North Central's men's team and Ball State's and Northern Illinois' women's squads, round out the field of competitors.
"We are thrilled to have several new programs joining us for the first time, including Wisconsin, Toledo, and Ball State," said Director of Cross Country and Track & Field Jeff Bovee. "Although this is an early season race, we will get a glimpse of our strengths and weaknesses. I feel very good about our season outlook and we are excited to compete at home on the Weibring Golf Course."
This week, fans will see the full Illinois State team in action, as many Redbirds will be making their season debut. Of those athletes participating in their first race of the season are 2015 MVC Freshman of the Year and two-time All-MVC performer Kyle Mattes, as well as sophomore Kevin Koski. Both Mattes and Koski found success at the ISU Invite last year, as each were among the top-20 finishers.
On the women's side, seniors Erica Brown, Ashley England, and Lindsey Lewis will be back in action. Brown and Lewis will look to build on their performances from last year's ISU Invite after finishing 20th and 21st, respectively.
Last week, the Redbirds opened up the 2017 campaign at the Hawkeye Invitational on Iowa's Ashton Cross Country Course. Despite competing with a condensed squad, the ISU men were able to take down Creighton and Drake in head-to-head action. They were led by freshman Scott Anderson, who placed 18th overall in his Illinois State debut.
The women, whose best performance came from sophomore Dakota Roman, walked away from the Hawkeye Invitational with a head-to-head victory over fellow MVC opponent, Drake. Roman led the Redbirds at the Hawkeye Invitational for the second consecutive season, finishing 11th overall.
Fans are encouraged to come out and cheer on the Redbirds at the Weibring Golf Course, which is located on the northwest corner of campus near the intersection of Adelaide Street and Gregory Street. Admission is free!
"I encourage all that enjoy the sport of cross country to come out on Friday and support the 'Birds as they compete against some of the best programs the sport has to offer," Bovee said.
Live action can also be followed on Twitter via @Redbird_TrackXC. Full coverage will be available on GoRedbirds.com 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.
