ISU Men's Cross Country

The Indiana State men's cross country team were voted to finish second in the 2011 State Farm Missouri Valley Conference Cross Country Championship Tuesday in a pre-championship poll by the Missouri Valley Conference.

The Sycamores will be hosting the MVC Championship this year at the LaVern Gibson Cross Country Championship Course on Sunday.  The men's 8k race is scheduled to begin at 10:30 a.m.  

"The men's race will be very close, and our team needs all the support they can get," said John McNichols, head men's cross country coach, "Hopefully many of our students will come out and watch this outstanding group of athletes."

A win by the gentlemen would give Indiana State their third consecutive conference title for the second time in team history.  The first time the Sycamores won three MVC cross country championship titles in a row was the 2004, 2005 and 2006 season.

Last season runners-up and longtime cross country rivals Southern Illinois University was voted to win the MVC Championship Sunday.  The Salukis received three first place votes and 73 points to take the first place spot over the defending champions ISU who received four first place votes and 70 points.

Competition between these two teams is expected to continue in the upcoming conference championship.  The Sycamores won five of the last seven championships with Southern Illinois taking the other two.

"I'm ready to roll, ready for the three-peat on Sunday," said Craig Padgett, a senior runner.   

 

ISU Women's Cross Country

The Indiana State University women's cross country team were voted to finish fifth in the 2011 Missouri Valley Cross Country Championship.

The Wichita State University Shockers were voted to win the conference title again this year.  The Shockers took seven first-place votes and 70 points.  The Sycamores were fifth with 72 points, one point ahead of the Bradley University Braves and five points behind the Southern Illinois Salukis at 67.

"I think the coaches are pretty accurate," said John Gartland, Indiana State women's cross country coach, said. "Those picked third through sixth are very close, and it will be a great competition between them. I think that we are better than fifth after finishing fourth the last two years. We will just have to see which team shows up for us on Sunday, the one that ran so well earlier this season or the one that ran in the Pre-Nationals."

The Sycamores are led by senior runner Kacie Klem and sophomore runner Jessica Zangmeister.  

 "I feel like we are ranked lower than we deserve going into the conference meet, but we're in a good position to prove some people wrong," Zangmeister said.

Last season the women were seeded to finish sixth, but on the day of competition, the team finished fourth.  

The women's 5k race is scheduled to begin at 11:30 a.m. at the LaVern Gibson Cross Country Course.

"It is definitely to our advantage for us to race on our home course that we know so well," Zangmeister said.  "Please come out and support us."