NASHVILLE, Tenn.- The Illinois State women's team took third at the 2023 MVC Championships hosted by Belmont, while the Illinois State men finished in fourth place at Vaugh's Gap At Warner Park in Nashville, Tennessee.
In the women's 6k race, Belmont took the top spot (40) followed by Bradley (59) and the Redbirds in third (93). Missouri State (142) and Southern Illinois (155) rounded out the top 5.
Junior Mattison Plummer and graduate student Claire Fuhlhage led the way for the Redbirds, running and neck with each other for most of the race. As the race came to a close, both placed in the top 5 to earn MVC All-Conference honors, with Plummer placing fourth with a time of 20.50.7 which is 4th fastest time in school history in a 6,000-meter race. Fuhlhage was right behind her, taking fifth place with a time of 20:53.9. Coming in 21st was junior Lauren Schulze, who set a personal best with a time of 21:53.59. Sophomore Maggie Reed took 27th with a personal-best time of 22:09.25, and rounding out the top 5 for the Redbirds was Viviana Sanfilippo in 36th place and a time of 22:19.27.
On the men's side, the Redbirds placed fourth in the 8k race with Drake (41) taking the conference title finish ahead of Bradley (71) and Belmont (72) who were separated by just one point. The Redbirds (81) were followed by Indiana State (152) to round out the top 5.
Junior Mathis Chavand and senior Baptiste Tardiveau were leading the race through the first 1,000 meters, and it was Chavand who would cross the finish line first for the Redbirds as he claimed second place overall in a time of 24:31.75 to win All-MVC First Team honors. Junior Zack Loomis also earned All-Valley honors with a sixth-place finish in a time of 24:24.13, and senior Charlie Wetzel earned All-MVC honorable mention honors with time of 25:00.73 to finish just out of the top 10 in 11th place. Graduate student Nick Doud placed 27th with a time of 25:36.87, while sophomore Yusuf Baig rounded out the top five as he took 35th with a time of 25:47.30 for the Redbirds.
After a week off, the Redbirds will travel to Stillwater, Oklahoma, to compete in the 2023 NCAA Midwest Regional hosted Oklahoma State at the Greiner Family OSU Cross Country Course on Friday, November 10.
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