NORMAL, Ill. - The Illinois State Cross Country team is set to open its 2024 campaign Friday afternoon, as the squad will compete at the 2024 Hawkeye Invite, hosted by the University of Iowa. The event is set to begin at 6 p.m. CST.
COLLEGIATE DEBUTS
Seven Redbirds - Madison Harmsen, Amanda Pocica, Ashlyn Smith, Julian Baker, Luke Barham, Will Gelon, and Josh Weeks - are in line to make their collegiate debuts in Iowa City.
PRESEASON PREDICTIONS
The Illinois State women's cross country team was picked to finish third in the Missouri Valley Conference preseason poll, while the men's program was selected to finish fourth, as announced by the conference.
The Redbird women return eight runners and will look to build off a third-place finish at the Missouri Valley Conference Championships. Senior Mattison Plummer leads the way, after earning All-MVC honors with a fourth-place finish at the conference title event. Senior Lauren Schulze and Junior Maggie Reed aim to capitalize on their strong finish to the 2023 season. Both athletes achieved personal best times in the 6k, securing top 30 finishes at the Missouri Valley Conference Championships.
The men's team has 12 returning runners and is looking to improve on their fourth-place finish at the Missouri Valley Conference Championships. Senior Mathis Chavand returns to the squad after he finished second at the conference championships and placed in the top 20 at the NCAA Division I Midwest Region Cross Country Championships in 2023. Senior Zack Loomis enters his fourth season with the Redbirds after a strong finish to 2023 with a sixth-place finish at the Missouri Valley Conference Championships. The team added transfer William Sinclair who previously competed at North Florida and Missouri. Sinclair brings veteran experience after earning 2020 All-SEC Freshman and 2021 All-SEC XC Second Team honors as a Tiger.
ILLINOIS STATE STARTING LINE – WOMEN
Madison Harmsen (Fr.) // Trixie Johnson (So.) // Amanda Pocica (Fr.) // Ashlyn Smith (Fr.)
ILLINOIS STATE STARTING LINE – MEN
Julian Baker (Fr.) // Luke Barham (Fr.) // Will Gelon (Fr.) // Dylan Myers (So.) // Blake Oleson (So.) // Owen O'Shea (So.) // Ethan Reynoso (So.) // Garrett Slack (Jr.) // Carter Smott (So.) // Nathan Virginelli (So.) // Josh Weeks (Fr.)
UP NEXT
The Redbirds return to action on Friday, September 13 with the annual Redbird Invite, hosted at the Weibring Golf Course, starting at 5 p.m.
OSF AND THE REDBIRDS
The team doctors for Illinois State Cross Country are provided by OSF HealthCare, Official Health Care Provider for Illinois State Athletics.
