NORMAL, Ill. – The Illinois State cross-country program swept its home meet at the Redbird Invitational Friday at the Weibring Golf Course.
For the third time in four years, both Redbird squads placed first among the field. The men's team finished with 19 points, while the women's squad collected 23 points. This marks the fourth-consecutive year the Redbird women have won the 6k event.
Junior Julian Baker led the men's squad with a victory in the 8k, recording a time of 24:36.5 for his first collegiate cross-country win. Junior transfer Ethan Eichhorn made his Redbird debut, finishing in third place with a time of 24:55.0. Senior Cayde de Waal opened his season with a fourth-place time of 24:55.7, followed by senior Blake Oleson's fifth-place performance with a mark of 24:56.9.
Four Redbirds placed consecutively from sixth place to nineth. Freshman Alex Rodriguez finished sixth with a time of 24:57.7, while junior Will Gelon registered a time of 24:59.6 for seventh overall. Freshman Max Weber placed eighth at the time of 25:05.0, as senior transfer Karson Hollander gathered a mark of 25:10.3 for nineth place in his Redbird debut. Sophomore Quinn Davis picked up his second top-20 finish of the season, placing 16th with a time of 25:41.8. Senior Kane Shields finished 22nd, crossing the finish line at 26:03.3.
"The biggest thing we talked about this year was execution," said Assistant Coach Jake Gillum. "We wanted to move up together in the back half. I think, for the most part, we did that. I think with it being the first meet of the season for a lot of our guys, sometimes you have a sense to take it casually and just race and get your feet wet. Today, it meant to get something extra, so it was cool to see them care, and as far as the program goes, it's a small meet, but it's a quality meet."
The success carried over into the women's 6k race, as the top-three finishers were Redbirds. Senior Nora Brady picked up right where she left off from last season's success, leading the women with a first-place time of 21:16.7, earning her first cross-country victory with Illinois State. Brady and Baker become the first Redbird duo since the 2024 Redbird Invitational to individually win their races at the same meet. Sophomore Pauline Schedler finished immediately after in second place with a time of 21:19.9, while junior Johanna Ebert placed third with a mark of 21:25.3.
Junior Astrid Van Breedam finished eighth with a time of 21:46.0, followed by junior Becca Heitzig's nineth-place performance with a mark of 21:57.1. Senior Grace Erb rounded out the top 10 with a time of 22:18.4, finishing as the sixth Redbird inside the top 10. Sophomore Cameron Crump recorded an 18th-place time of 22:39.8.
"Overall, it was super solid," said Assistant Coach Claire Fuhlhage. "We plugged in a lot more women than we had at our first meet, so it was nice to see them race as a team. They did a great job of executing what we asked them to do from the team's perspective, being pretty controlled in the front half and then pushing in the back half. We had a few nice little kick finishes to show people that this is our course. So happy to be proud to win as a team out here."
MEN'S 8K RESULTS – 1st Place (19 Points)
1. Julian Baker, 24:36.5 // 3. Ethan Eichhorn, 24:55.0 // 4. Cayde de Waal, 24:55.7 // 5. Blake Oleson, 24:56.9 // 6. Alex Rodriguez, 24:57.7 // 7. Will Gelon, 24:59.6 // 8. Max Weber, 25:05.0 // 9. Karson Hollander, 25:10.3 // 16. Quinn Davis, 25:41.8 // 22. Kane Shields, 26:03.3
WOMEN'S 6K RESULTS – 1st Place (23 Points)
1. Nora Brady, 21:16.7 // 2. Pauline Schedler, 21:19.9 // 3. Johanna Ebert, 21:25.3 // 8. Astrid Van Breedam, 21:46.0 // 9. Becca Heitzig, 21:57.1 // 10. Grace Erb, 22:18.4 // 18. Cameron Crump, 22:39.8
UP NEXT
Illinois State will travel to South Bend, Indiana, for the Joe Piane Invitational on Friday, October 2, beginning at 9 a.m. CT.
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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