PEORIA, Ill. – Junior Johanna Ebert recorded the fastest 6k time (20:37.8) in Illinois State history at the Bradley Pink Classic, as the Redbird cross-country program concluded its regular season on Friday afternoon.
Ebert placed ninth, leading the Redbird women for the second time this season, helping the team finish fourth among the field. The Karben, Germany, native beat Nora Brady's record time of 20:38.89 from the 2025 Bradley Pink Classic.
Sophomore Pauline Schedler set a personal-best time of 20:45.4 for 15th place, entering a three-way tie for fifth all-time in program history. Brady became the third Redbird to finish inside the top 20, running a time of 20:48.7 for 18th place. Junior Becca Heitzig recorded a personal-best time of 20:52.1 for 21st place and ninth in program history for a 6k race.
Junior Astrid Van Breedam and senior Grace Erb notched personal-best marks at the event, collecting times of 21:02.1 and 21:24.7, respectively. Sophomore Cameron Crump placed 85th with a personal-best time of 21:42.1. Freshman Emily King completed her first collegiate 6k race with a time of 22:10.5.
Junior Julian Baker led the Redbird men with a time of 23:27.8 for third overall, guiding the team to a third-place finish. Junior Ethan Eichhorn finished second on the team with a personal-best time of 23:47.5, placing 15th among the field. Senior Cayde de Waal recorded a personal-best time of 24:08.2 for 33rd place.
Eichhorn and de Waal etched their names in the record books from their performances. Eichhorn sits fifth all-time among all 8k marks, placing ahead of Ryan Rutherford's time of 23:50.2 from the 2013 NCAA Pre-Nationals. De Waal is tied for ninth, matching Matt Mroczynski's performance from the 2008 Notre Dame Invitational.
Senior Karson Hollander gathered a personal-best time of 24:09.8 for 35th place, while junior Will Gelon finished 48th with a personal-record time of 24:18.6. Freshman Max Weber notched a time of 24:31.5 for 66th overall. Sophomore Quinn Davis and freshman Alex Rodriguez surpassed their personal-record times with marks of 24:41.7 and 24:43.0, placing 80th and 83rd, respectively. Senior Ethan Reynoso became the seventh Redbird to earn a personal-best time, finishing at 24:48.6 for 93rd place. Senior Blake Oleson rounded out the Redbirds with a mark of 25:17.1.
Prior to the red races, senior Kane Shields and junior Luke Barham participated in men's white 8k race. Shields placed 30th with a time of 25:24.4, while Barham crossed the finish line at 26:18.5 for 77th overall.
"We had a really good day today at Bradley," said Director of Track & Field/Cross Country Jeff Bovee. "Both teams had a small one-to-five gap between our first and fifth runners. We had a lot of top-10 times on the day. Johanna set the school record today, which we're super proud of her for. A lot of break-out performances happened, including Ethan Eichhorn, improving his personal-best time by almost a minute. Lots of people to be proud of today. We're really pleased heading into the Missouri Valley Championship."
MEN'S RED 8K RESULTS – 3rd Place (126 Points)
3. Julian Baker, 23:27.8 // 15. Ethan Eichhorn, 23:47.5 (PR) // 33. Cayde de Waal, 24:08.2 (PR) // 35. Karson Hollander, 24:09.8 (PR) // 48. Will Gelon, 24:18.6 (PR) // 66. Max Weber, 24:31.5 // 80. Quinn Davis, 24:41.7 (PR) // 83. Alex Rodriguez, 24:43.0 (PR) // 93. Ethan Reynoso, 24:48.6 (PR) // 126. Blake Oleson, 25:17.1
WOMEN'S RED 6K RESULTS – 4th Place (95 Points)
9. Johanna Ebert, 20:37.8 (PR) // 15. Pauline Schedler, 20:45.4 (PR) // 18. Nora Brady, 20:48.7 // 21. Becca Heitzig, 20:52.1 (PR) // 37. Astrid Van Breedam, 21:02.1 (PR) // 57. Grace Erb, 21:24.7 (PR) // 85. Cameron Crump, 21:42.1 (PR) // 119. Emily King, 22:10.5
MEN'S WHITE 8K RESULTS
30. Kane Shields, 25:24.4 // 77. Luke Barham, 26:18.5
UP NEXT
Illinois State will begin postseason competition with the Missouri Valley Conference Championships on Friday, October 30, beginning at 10:30 a.m. The event will take place at the A.H. Blank Golf Course in Des Moines, Iowa, hosted by Drake.
For the latest updates on Illinois State Cross Country, stay tuned at GoRedbirds.com, follow the Redbirds on X (@RedbirdTFXC) and Instagram (isuredbirdtfxc) and like the team on Facebook (Illinois State Track & Field/Cross Country).
GoRedbirds.com and the Illinois State Redbirds app: Your sources for Illinois State tickets, Weisbecker Athletic Fund gifts, multimedia, Redbird merchandise, photos, and more.
