URBANA-CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Using a limited roster, the Illinois State cross country teams opened the 2022 season on Thursday afternoon at the Illini Challenge.
"We did not race most of our varsity squad this week in order to focus on the training at such an early part of the season," said director of track & field and cross country Jeff Bovee. "We will start to put more pieces to the puzzle each meet out."
In the women's race, sophomore Lauren Schulze was the top Redbird finisher with a time of 18:49.8. Mattison Plummer was just behind Schulze with a 19:09.6 to take eighth in the field. Maggie Reed – in her collegiate debut – crossed the line in a time of 20:03.4, while Jenna Gruber finished her 5,000-meter race in a time of 20:19.7.
The men's 6,000-meter race was paced by Zack Loomis who ran the near-four-miles in a time of 18:45.4, while Yusuf Baig started off his collegiate career with a time of 18:57.5. Two other Redbirds making their collegiate debuts – Connor Murphy (20:24.7) and Garrett Slack (21:08.7) – sandwiched a pair of young returners in Harris Porter (20:27.8) and Julian Head (20:31.2).
"Zach Loomis and Yusuf Baig opened up with strong races and put themselves up there with some of Illinois top runners," said Bovee. "Lauren Schulz did the same on the women's side and battled very well. We raced many of middle distance runners this week so they could get cross country experience over a shorter race distance."
The Redbirds return to the course on Friday, September 16 for the Redbird Invite starting at 5 p.m. at the Weibring Golf Course on the Illinois State campus. Last season the ISU women placed fourth of 13 at the Redbird Invite, while the men took fifth of a dozen schools.
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