NORMAL, Ill. – After a dominant track and field season that saw the Redbirds sweep the men's and women's indoor conference titles, claim the women's outdoor title, and garner MVC Program of the Year accolades, the bar has been set high as cross country season approaches. With a solid foundation of veterans returning, and a wealth of talented new faces joining this fall, the Illinois State men's and women's cross country teams are undoubtedly up for the challenge.
During the 2017-18 track and field season, the Redbirds brought home the hardware. With a cross country roster full of student-athletes that know what it takes to win an MVC Championship, the 'Birds are ready to translate their success on the track to the cross country circuit.
While the journey to the top of the Valley is never easy, the Redbird men have a distinct advantage, only losing two student-athletes to graduation on a team that placed third in the Valley last season. Returning practically everyone on a team that posted ISU's highest men's MVC finish since 2015, the upcoming season appears bright for the Redbirds.
"On paper, we have one of our best men's teams in quite a long time, but our success this season will depend on two things: how prepared we are coming off of summer training and how well our key performers convert their success on the track to success on the grass," said Director of Track and Field and Cross Country Jeff Bovee. "We have an abundance of potential this year, and we need to take full advantage of the early-season races to build confidence before the post-season arrives."
It also does not hurt to have senior Kyle Mattes back to lead the ISU squad, after he became the first Redbird to qualify for the NCAA Division I Cross Country Championships in 15 years in 2017. Mattes had a stellar junior campaign, earning All-Valley honors for the third time after finishing third at the MVC Cross Country Championships. Besides Mattes, only three other runners in ISU history (Tony Daniel, Chris Bailey, and Christian Goy) have received all-conference distinction during their freshman, sophomore, and junior seasons.
Despite being named the MVC Freshman of the Year in 2015 and capturing a fourth-place finish at the 2016 MVC Championships, Mattes' season ended at the NCAA Midwest Regional each of those years. However, that changed in 2017, as his success went beyond the conference level. At the 2017 NCAA Division I Cross Country Midwest Regional, Mattes ran his way to All-Region honors and a spot in the NCAA Cross Country Championship after finishing seventh in a field of 195 competitors.
Mattes' spectacular individual performance fueled the rest of the Redbird men's team, who finished 12th in the region. The 'Birds will look to finish even higher this season, as they attempt to de-throne MVC foe Bradley, who won the Valley last year and solidified themselves as one of the top teams in the Midwest Region.
"We have a great front-runner in Kyle, who is hungry to get back to the NCAA Championships this fall," said Bovee. "This makes previewing the championship course in October at NCAA Pre-Nationals, hosted by Wisconsin, critical for him. It is also important for our team as a whole, as this race will give us insight to our potential to compete for an MVC Championship and a top-eight finish at the NCAA Midwest Regional."
Mattes, who went on to finish 99th at the NCAA Championships with the fourth-fastest 10K time in Redbird cross country history (30:41.93), will be a key asset in achieving these goals. However, he will not be alone, as he is supported by a strong group of returners that have had successes of their own.
At last year's MVC Cross Country Championship, the 'Birds placed four runners in the top-25, ultimately helping the Redbirds upset Loyola for third place. Cody Baele, Jack Anstey, and Scott Anderson, who were all running in their first cross country championship as Redbirds, finished 17th, 20th, and 21st, respectively. All three student-athletes return in 2018.
Baele, a senior who is using his last season of eligibility this fall, is ready to go out on a high note. He was the second Redbird to cross the finish line at the MVC Championships and NCAA Midwest Regional in 2017, and was a constant top-five finisher for ISU last season. He will look to do more of the same this year.
Anstey is coming off of the best track and field season of his career. Not only was he crowned the 2018 Valley 1,500-meter Champion, but he qualified for the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field West Preliminary Round, advancing to the quarterfinals. He was named the MVC Male Track Athlete of the Week in back-to-back weeks on March 27 and April 4 for his 1,500-meter performance at the Stanford Invitational, notching the second-fastest time in Illinois State history (3:43.22). Anstey will aim to carry this momentum from an outstanding track season to the cross country course.
Anderson and junior Kevin Koski will be other faces to watch. After red-shirting the 2018 outdoor track and field season, both are anxious to compete and are hungry for success.
On the women's side, the Redbirds will rely heavily on young talent, as they try to bounce back from a sixth-place finish at the MVC Championships in 2017. Grace Beattie, who earned a spot on the Valley's Scholar-Athlete Team after becoming the first ISU runner to cross the finish line at last season's MVC Cross Country Championships, will anchor the team.
"Our women's roster is full of talent, and we enter this season with much more optimism after having an outstanding summer of training," said Bovee. "Our success will not only depend on how quickly our less-experienced runners can contribute, but also the ability of our returners to become steady leaders in our top-five. We are ready to capitalize on the momentum of winning the Valley indoor and outdoor track and field crowns."
Beattie is coming off of an excellent track season, where she was the runner-up in the mile at the indoor championships and the runner-up in the 3,000-meter steeplechase at the outdoor championships. She also qualified for the NCAA Division I Outdoor Track & Field West Preliminary Round in the 3,000-meter steeplechase, as her qualifying time of 10:19.77 ranks fifth all-time in the Redbird record books.
Sophomore Audrey Janik and junior Annie Moore will be other key returners. Janik competed in the 2017 MVC Cross Country Championships as a freshman last season, offering experience on a team that will rely heavily on its incoming freshmen.
Moore was one of the Redbirds' most improved athletes during the 2018 track and field season, recording a personal-best in every 1,500-meter race that she competed in during the outdoor campaign. She also earned her first all-conference honor at the Valley Indoor Championships as a part of the Redbirds' distance medley relay team that finished third.
Phoebe Clowser and Kennidi Knoblock will also be integral to ISU's success this year. Clowser, who was riddled with injuries last season, is back and poised to make an immediate impact for the 'Birds. She had a solid freshman campaign in 2016-17, competing at the MVC Cross Country Championships and being named the MVC Female Cross Country Athlete of the Week on September 13, 2016. Clowser also excelled on the track, finishing fifth in the mile at the 2017 MVC Indoor Track and Field Championships.
After competing in the MVC Cross Country Championships and NCAA Midwest Regional in 2017, Knoblock brings much-needed experience to the ISU roster. She is coming off of a strong track season, where she earned the first All-Valley accolade of her career at the MVC indoor championships, running a leg on the Redbirds' third-place distance medley relay team.
The Illinois State men's and women's cross country teams, led by Bovee and second-year assistant coach Jon-Michael Brandt, open the 2018 slate on Friday, August 31, at Iowa's Hawkeye Invitational. The annual Illinois State Invitational will commence on Friday, September 14, at 5 p.m. at the Weibring Golf Course. Admission is free, and this is an opportune time to catch the Redbirds in action on their home course.
There are also three opportunities to watch the Redbirds race at nearby Bradley, with the first being the Bradley Classic on Friday, October 12. The 2018 Missouri Valley Conference Championships and NCAA Division I Midwest Regional will also be held in Peoria, Illinois. These meets will take place on Saturday, October 27, and Friday, November 9, respectively.
The Illinois State men's and women's cross country teams are ready to prove to everyone that ISU is not only a track powerhouse, but a force to be reckoned with on the cross country circuit as well. The 'Birds understand that nothing good comes easy, but they are ready to work hard, and are up for the challenge.
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