PEORIA, Ill. – Highlighted by a break-through performance from freshman Matt Blanco, the Illinois State men's and women's cross country teams battled through the cold weather to pick up multiple personal-records at the Bradley Pink Classic Friday.
Competing in the men's 8K Red Race, Blanco led the ISU men for the first time of his young career, as he was the first Redbird to cross the finish line in a personal-best 25:41.50, placing 64th among 273 runners. He continues to show improvement, surpassing his previous personal-record by over a minute! Blanco's performance helped the Redbird men take down a pair of USTFCCCA regionally-ranked opponents in Butler and Missouri.
Sophomore Jake Gillum (26:00.60) and senior Ethan Kirk (26:19.30) were the next two Redbirds to complete the 8K circuit, each posting solid races and capturing personal-bests. Gillum's mark was also good for a top-100 finish, as he placed 93rd. Rounding out the top-five for the ISU men was junior Thomas Thornton (26:27.70) and sophomore Colton Bell (26:41.10).
The Illinois State women were led by junior Rachel Hoffman, who was competing in her first cross country race since the 2016 season and the first 6K of her career. Hoffman came out today ready to compete, clocking in at 22:52.30 in the Red Race. Senior Lesly Rocha (23:16.70) and freshman Maddi Exline (25:06.50) also ran strong races for the Redbirds.
The Illinois State men's and women's cross country teams will be back in action tomorrow when they preview the 2018 NCAA Division I Cross Country Championship course at the NCAA Pre-Nationals, hosted by Wisconsin. The women's 6K Cardinal Race is slated for a 10 a.m. start, with the men's 8K White Race scheduled for 12:15 p.m.
Live results will be made available to fans, and the meet will also be streamed on FloTrack.org (with subscription). For live action of the meet, and for all-things Redbird Track & Field and Cross Country, visit GoRedbirds.com and follow @Redbird_TrackXC on Twitter.
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