ST. LOUIS – As the 2018 Missouri Valley Conference Cross Country Championships approach this Saturday, Oct. 27, the Illinois State men have been predicted to place second, while the women were selected fifth, the league announced Tuesday with its annual pre-championship coaches' poll.
The Redbird men, who were also picked second in the Valley's pre-season coaches' poll, tallied 71 voter points. Not surprisingly, 2017 MVC Champion Bradley was once again selected as the favorite, receiving eight first place votes and 80 points. Rounding out the top-five was 2017 MVC Runner-Up Indiana State (57 points), Drake (54 points), and Loyola and UNI, who tied with 38 points. It is also of note that Loyola received the final of the nine first-place votes.
The Illinois State men will need to run a near-flawless race to de-throne Valley-favorite and host Bradley on their home course, but the 'Birds have proven this season that they are capable of giving the Braves more than they can handle. After winning the annual Illinois State Invite and defending their home course on Sept. 14, the Redbirds were ranked No. 8 in the Midwest Region (their highest regional-ranking in program history) for three-consecutive weeks. The 'Birds, who remain the No. 9 team in the Midwest Region, are ready to show what they are made of Saturday.
The Illinois State women's fifth place pre-championship selection also remained consistent with where the team was chosen in the pre-season Valley poll. The 'Birds collected 64 voter points, trailing fourth-place UNI (68 points) by only four points. Similar to the men's poll, 2017 MVC Champion Bradley was predicted to win the 2018 Valley Championship, receiving all-ten first place votes for a total of 100 points. Loyola (86 points) and Indiana State (76 points) composed the top-three.
The Redbird women are ready to ruffle some feathers this weekend, having shown constant improvement over the course of the 2018 campaign. Audrey Janik, Rachel Hickey, Phoebe Clowser, Kennidi Knoblock, and Annie Moore will be faces to watch.
The 2018 MVC Cross Country Championship will be held at the Newman Golf Course in Peoria, Illinois, on Saturday, Oct. 27. The women's 5K is slated for a 10:35 a.m. start, with the men's 8K following at 11:35 a.m. A full meet preview will be available on GoRedbirds.com and on Twitter via @Redbird_TrackXC later this week.
To view the full MVC pre-championship coaches' poll, visit mvc-sports.com.
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