NORMAL, Ill. – Illinois State Cross Country is set to host the MVC Championships for the first time since 2012, as the Redbirds welcome Bradley, Drake, Evansville, Indiana State, Loyola, Missouri State, Southern Illinois, UNI and Valparaiso to Weibring Golf Course on Friday, Oct. 29. The action is set to kick off with the women's 6K championship race, slated for 1:00 p.m. CT. The men's 8K championship race will begin at 2:00 p.m. CT, with the awards ceremony set to follow. Both races will be broadcast live on ESPN3.
SEASON OVERVIEW
The 'Birds are fresh off of a women's title at the Illini Open and strong performances at the Bradley Pink Classic, where 16 Redbirds notched personal bests.
At the Bradley Pink Classic, Illinois State finished sixth out of 37 teams in the women's red race. The Redbirds were led by freshman Ailey Mitchell, who placed 19th overall with a 6K time of 21:30.2, a new personal best by nine seconds. On the men's side, Illinois State was led by freshman Charlie Wetzel, who finished 52nd overall in a time of 25:02.2. The Illinois State men finished 11th out of 31 teams.
The other Redbirds to notch personal bests included Rachel Hickey, Caroline Meyers, Maddi Exline, Lucie Grandjean, Ashley Heagy, Lucas Capistrant, Jake Gillum, Zachary Loomis, Charlie Kistner, Riley Wells, Mackenzie Brownrigg, Jenna Gruber, Viviana Sanfillippo, Julian Head and Charles Murphy.
In addition to the MVC Championships, Illinois State also hosted the Redbird Invite earlier this season on Friday, Sept. 17. At the Invite, the ISU women finished fourth overall, while the men finished sixth. The 'Birds were again paced by Wetzel and Mitchell. Wetzel posted an 11th-place finish in the men's 8K, notching a personal best with a time of 24:48.40. Mitchell finished the 6K race in a time of 21:39.80 to finish 14th overall.
LAST TIME AT THE MVC CHAMPIONSHIPS
At the 2020-21 MVC Cross Country Championships, the Redbird men captured their first MVC title in 19 years, as four ISU runners finished in the top-5 overall.
Finishing with a team score of 24 points, the 'Birds were led by MVC individual champion Kevin Koski, who crossed the finish line with a time of 24:21.1, 11 seconds ahead of the second-place finisher. The first Redbird to be crowned MVC champion since 2009 when Scott Krapf took first, Koski was named MVC Athlete of the Year.
Kimathi Johnson, Charlie Wetzel and Jack Anstey finished third, fourth and fifth, respectively to earn All-Valley honors. As the top freshman finisher, Wetzel was also named the MVC Freshman of the Year. Jake Gillum and Tyler Klouda earned All-Valley Honorable Mention honors with 11th and 14th-place finishes, respectively.
The Illinois State women finished fourth overall, led by Rachel Hickey who earned All-Valley Honorable Mention honors with a 12th-place finish.
For the first time in nine season, Illinois State is hosting the MVC Championships. Back in 2012, the Redbird women captured their second-straight MVC title on their home course, scoring 42 points overall. Four ISU runners finished in the top-10, led by a second-place finish from Rachael Brewer and third-place finish from Elise Sigg in the 5K race. Brewer would go on to capture the MVC individual title a season later.
HOW TO FOLLOW ALONG
For fans who can't be in attendance, both races will be broadcast live on ESPN3. Follow along on Twitter at @RedbirdTFXC for updates from the MVC Championships. Live results will also be available here.
UP NEXT
After the conclusion of the MVC Championships, the Redbirds will have a weekend off before traveling to Iowa City, Iowa for the NCAA Midwest Regional Championship. The action from the Ashton Cross Country Course is set to begin at 11:00 a.m. CT.
ILLINOIS STATE STARTING LINE – WOMEN'S 6K
Maddi Exline (Jr.) // Claire Fuhlhage (Jr.) // Lucie Grandjean (Fr.) // Ashley Heagy (Fr.) // Rachel Hickey (Jr.) // Caroline Meyers (Jr.) // Ailey Mitchell (Fr.) // Kaitlin Skeate (Fr.)
ILLINOIS STATE STARTING LINE – MEN'S 8K
Matt Blanco (Jr.) // Lucas Capistrant (Jr.) // Jake Gillum (Sr.) // Charlie Kistner (Fr.) // Zachary Loomis (Fr.) // Joe Morrison (Jr.) // Riley Wells (So.) // Charlie Wetzel (Fr.)
For all the latest news on Redbird track & field and cross country, follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
GoRedbirds.com and the Illinois State Redbirds App: Your sources for Illinois State tickets, Weisbecker Scholarship Fund gifts, multimedia, Redbird merchandise, photos and more.
