NORMAL, Ill. – The Illinois State men's and women's cross country teams will complete their regular season schedules Friday when they compete in the Illini Open, hosted by Illinois, at the Arboretum Cross Country Course. The women's 5K is slated for a 4 p.m. start, with the men's 8K following at 4:40 p.m.
In their final tune-up before the Missouri Valley Conference Cross Country Championships on Oct. 27, the Redbirds will face a field filled with USTFCCCA regionally-ranked opponents. In addition to the host Illini, the Redbird men find themselves competing against 10 teams, eight of which are ranked regionally. Among these teams are fellow MVC competitors Bradley (No. 4 in the Midwest) and Indiana State (No. 10 in the Great Lakes).
The ISU women will face similar competition, racing in a field of 11 teams, eight of which are regionally-ranked. The Redbirds will face a number of in-state rivals, including Illinois (No. 6 in the Midwest), Northern Illinois (No. 13 in the Midwest), and Eastern Illinois. MVC opponents Bradley (No. 10 in the Midwest) and Indiana State (No. 13 in the Great Lakes) will be present as well.
The Illinois State men, who are currently ranked ninth in the Midwest Region, will have four student-athletes competing Friday. Ethan Kirk and Timothy Stevenson are coming off of strong performances at the Bradley Pink Classic, where they each captured an 8K personal-best. Colton Bell and Thomas Thornton also posted solid races at the Bradley Pink Classic, becoming the fourth and fifth ISU runners to cross the finish line and score points for the 'Birds. They all will be back in action tomorrow.
On the women's side, Lesly Rocha has been a force to be reckoned with all season, competing in every race for ISU this year. She will be joined Friday by freshmen Kassye Todd and Maddi Exline, as well as Hattie Plumb and Mariah Brodie. Plumb and Brodie will be racing in their first meet since the ISU Invite on Sept. 14.
Results of the meet will be posted on fightingillini.com following the competition. For full coverage of the meet, follow @Redbird_TrackXC on Twitter or visit GoRedbirds.com.
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