NORMAL, Ill. – The Illinois State men's and women's cross country teams are set to host their annual Illinois State Invitational Friday at the Weibring Golf Course. The women's 5K is slated to start at 5 p.m., with the men's 8K following at 5:45 p.m. Admission to both races is free!
Including the host Redbirds, this year's race will feature seven teams: Eastern Illinois, UIC, Loyola, IUPUI, Missouri, and North Central (men's team only). The field proves to be highly-competitive, particularly on the men's side, with four of the seven teams appearing in the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches' Association's (USTFCCCA) most recent rankings.
A trio of men's teams (No. 10 Missouri, No. 12 Illinois State, and No. 15 IUPUI) are ranked regionally, with Mizzou and ISU residing in the Midwest Region and IUPUI falling in the Great Lakes Region. Perennial Division III powerhouse North Central, who won the Illinois State Invite last season, is also a force to be reckoned with. The Cardinals are currently ranked first in the nation in Division III after claiming their 18th national title last season. The Missouri women are also seeded, coming in at No. 9 in the Midwest Region, after improving two spots in the rankings from last week.
Friday's race will be the 2018 debut for much of the Redbird men's squad. Running their first races of the season will be 2017 NCAA national qualifier Kyle Mattes, Cody Baele, Jack Anstey, and Kevin Koski. Baele and Koski are especially eager to get on the course and make an impact for the 'Birds. Baele is entering his final season as a Redbird, while Koski returns to competition after red-shirting the outdoor track & field season.
At last week's Hawkeye Invitational, the Redbirds were led by Kimathi Johnson, who was the first Redbird finisher and placed 15th overall. Brett Haffner also had a strong showing in his Illinois State debut, notching a top-25 finish in his first collegiate race. Johnson and Haffner will be back in action tomorrow.
On the women's side, Annie Moore, Rachel Hickey, and Kennidi Knoblock worked together seamlessly, finishing 16th, 17th, and 18th, respectively. Lesly Rocha also opened her season on a high note, placing 25th. Phoebe Clowser rounded out the scoring for the Redbirds. All of these 'Birds will race Friday, as they look to feed off each other's energy once again.
Fans are encouraged to come out and cheer on the Redbirds at the Weibring Golf Course, which is located on the northwest corner of campus near the intersection of Adelaide Street and Gregory Street. Attending students will receive 50 rewards points when they check into the event on the Illinois State Redbirds App.
For fans who cannot be in attendance, live results will be available. Action of the race can also be followed on Twitter via @Redbird_TrackXC. Full coverage will be provided on GoRedbirds.com following Friday's competition.
GoRedbirds.com and the Illinois State Redbirds App: Your sources for Illinois State tickets, Weisbecker Scholarship Fund gifts, multimedia, Redbird merchandise, photos and more.
