MADISON, Wis. – Senior Kyle Mattes closed out a decorated Illinois State cross country career Saturday at the 2018 NCAA Division I Cross Country Championship, hosted by Wisconsin, in the best way he knows how, by making Redbird cross country history. Mattes placed 52nd overall with a 10K time of 30:10.30, etching his name in the Illinois State cross country record book once again.
"Kyle went for it today. He got a great start and stuck his nose up in it, placing himself in the top-40 through 2K," said Director of Track & Field and Cross Country Jeff Bovee. "Although, he slid back a little in the middle portion of race, Kyle climbed 10 spots to get 52nd. He ran tough, and executed the type of race that we wanted him to. When the stakes are high, Kyle becomes an even greater performer. I'm incredibly proud of him and am very excited to see what he can accomplish during the indoor and outdoor track seasons."
With his 52nd place finish, Mattes becomes the highest NCAA Cross Country Championship finisher in Redbird men's cross country history, placing one spot higher than Mike Baker's 53rd place finish at the 1980 NCAA Championship meet. Mattes also broke ISU's 10K school record, which was previously set by Baker at the 1980 NCAA Championship when he clocked in at 30:25.
As if this wasn't enough, Mattes was the top Missouri Valley Conference finisher at today's NCAA Championship. Loyola's Lindsey Brewis placed 56th overall in the women's 6K, and Indiana State's Akis Medrano finished 191st in the men's 10K. Making their first team appearance in program history, Bradley's men placed 24th out of 31 teams.
Mattes completes his Illinois State cross country career as one of the best in program history. He was a two-time NCAA qualifier, two-time All-Region selection, and four-time All-MVC performer.
This completes the 2018 cross country campaign. The 2018-19 track & field season will get underway on December 8 when the Redbirds travel to Iowa City for a meet hosted by the Iowa Hawkeyes.
For all the latest news on Redbird track & field and cross country, follow @Redbird_TrackXC on Twitter and visit GoRedbirds.com.
GoRedbirds.com and the Illinois State Redbirds App: Your sources for Illinois State tickets, Weisbecker Scholarship Fund gifts, multimedia, Redbird merchandise, photos and more.
