SOUTH BEND, Ind. – The Illinois State cross-country program competed at the Joe Piane Invitational on Friday morning at the Burke Golf Course. The women's squad placed 11th in the blue division 5k race, while the men's team finished fifth in the blue division 8k event.
Senior Nora Brady led the Redbird women for the second-consecutive race, finishing with a personal-best time of 17:07.98 for 46th place, recording the third-best 5k time in program history. Junior Johanna Ebert collected a personal-best time of 17:14.25 for 56th place, gathering the eighth-best time in program history. Sophomore Pauline Schedler became the third Redbird to etch her name in the record books, registering a time of 17:17.48 for 62nd, tying for ninth all-time at Illinois State.
Junior Becca Heitzig crossed the finish line at 17:24.75 for 72nd place, while junior Astrid Van Breedam notched a mark of 17:37.59 for 85th among the field, becoming the fifth Redbird to finish inside the top 100.
"We were trying to focus on our process goals heading into the race," said Director of Track & Field/Cross Country Jeff Bovee. "The women were not very good for the first 1,000 meters. They did recover and have a very good back half, helping some get into the top 10 all-time in the program. Very proud of them for that."
Junior Julian Baker paced the men's team with a personal-best time of 23:26.5 for 10th place, collecting the third-best 8k time in program history. This marks the second time in his collegiate career where he has led the Redbird men in consecutive meets, going back to the Gans Creek Classic and Bradley Pink Classic in 2025.
Senior Cayde de Waal finished 41st with a personal-best time of 24:19.5, and freshman Max Weber placed 43rd with a personal-record mark of 24:20.7. Junior Will Gelon wasn't too far behind, crossing the finish line in 45th with a personal-best time of 24:22.8. Senior Karson Hollander rounded out the top 50 with a mark of 24:26.0. Junior Ethan Eichhorn ran a time of 24:43.6 for 79th place, and sophomore Quinn Davis recorded a personal-best mark of 24:54.3.
"Super proud of Julian to improve his personal-best time by a minute," said Bovee. "He was locked in from the start, finishing toward the top. The guys were solid today for us despite a little bit of a slow start with guys getting jammed up. However, they have made a nice improvement compared to a year ago, which we're super proud of them for that."
MEN'S BLUE DIVISION 8K RESULTS – 5th Place (180 Points)
10. Julian Baker, 23:26.5 (PR) // 41. Cayde de Waal, 24:19.5 (PR) // 43. Max Weber, 24:20.7 (PR) // 45. Will Gelon, 24:22.8 (PR) // 50. Karson Hollander, 24:26.0 // 79. Ethan Eichhorn, 24:43.6 // 95. Quinn Davis, 24:54.3 (PR) // 116. Alex Rodriguez, 25:23.3 // 138. Blake Oleson, 25:50.9 // 144. Kane Shields, 26:05.8
WOMEN'S BLUE DIVISION 5K RESULTS – 11th Place (291 Points)
46. Nora Brady, 17:07.98 (PR) // 56. Johanna Ebert, 17:14.25 (PR) // 62. Pauline Schedler, 17:17.48 // 72. Becca Heitzig, 17:24.75 // 85. Astrid Van Breedam, 17:37.59 // 129. Cameron Crump, 18:10.69Â // 137. Grace Erb, 18:18.06 // 160. Emily King, 18:35.37
UP NEXT
Illinois State will conclude their regular season at the Bradley Pink Classic on Friday, October 16, beginning at 11 a.m. The event will take place at the Newman Golf Course in Peoria, Illinois.
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).
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