Cross Country Travels to Pre-National Invitational
10/15/2010 12:00:00 AM | Cross Country
Oct. 15, 2010
EAST LANSING, Mich. - The Michigan State cross country team returns to action this weekend when it travels to the Pre-National Invitational hosted by Indiana State University on Saturday, Oct. 16 at the LaVern Gibson Championship Cross Country Course in Terre Haute, Ind. The women will get action started for MSU in the 6,000-meter blue race at 11 a.m. ET. The men will follow in the 8,000-meter blue race at 12:10 p.m. ET.
Due to the size of the field, the schools have been divided up into a blue race and a white race. In total, 19 men's and 17 women's teams ranked in the USTFCCCA national coaches' poll are slated to participate in one of the two meet divisions. The Spartans will face nine schools head-to-head in the latest polls in both the men's and women's race.
ISU will host the 2010 NCAA Cross Country Championships later this season at the LaVern Gibson Championship Cross Country Course. The championships are scheduled to be held on Monday, Nov. 22, with action to begin at 12 p.m. ET.
Where We Rank
In the latest U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) weekly poll, the women find themselves ranked 18th after their strong performance at the Wisconsin adidas Invitational. Regionally, the women continue to sit atop the Great Lakes Region standings while also holding the best national ranking in the Big Ten Conference.
On the men's side, MSU is currently 20th in the USTFCCCA rankings. The men are also third in the Great Lakes Region, sitting behind Indiana and Wisconsin. The Spartans are the third-best team ranked in the conference based on the national poll.
Conference Recognition
Earlier this week sophomore Kristen Smith (Clarkston, Mich.) and freshman Travis Borchard (Saginaw, Mich.) were named Big Ten Runners of the Week. The sweep gave MSU a total of five runners of the week distinctions this season, leading all Big Ten schools on the year.
Smith earned her first career honor after she turned in a fifth-place showing at the Michigan Intercollegiate Championships last weekend in Rochester, Mich. Smith's time of 18:17.4 is a career-best mark, and allowed her to earn All-Michigan distinction this weekend.
This also marked Borchard's first weekly Big Ten honor, and the second MSU male this season. Borchard turned in a time of 26:50.3 at this weekend's Michigan Intercollegiate Championships. This marked the first time Borchard had been the top MSU finisher at a race.
As a result of her two solid races this season, senior Emily MacLeod has received Big Ten Runner of the Week honors after both of the events she has competed in this season. MacLeod earned the honor after placing second at the Wisconsin adidas Invitational on Saturday, Oct. 2 when she turned in a career-best time of 20:15.8. MacLeod earned the first honor of the season after the Spartan Invitational on Friday, Sept. 17 when she won the event for the second straight year with at time of 20:46.
Following the Spartan Invitational, MacLeod was joined by junior Aaron Simoneau as male runner of the week following his performance at the lone Green and White home race of the season. Simoneau earned his first career conference distinction after tracking down Nick Willis, a silver medalist at the 2008 Beijing Olympics in the 1,500m, for the his first collegiate win. The Traverse City, Mich., native, bested his previous fastest race by 50 seconds to finish the 8k race in 24:28.Simoneau and MacLeod gave MSU the only weekly sweep by a school this season.
Last Time Out
The Spartans wrapped up action at the Michigan Intercollegiate Championships hosted by Oakland University on Friday, Oct. 8 at the Katke Cousins Golf Course. Sophomore Kristen Smith was the top runner in the 5k race for the women as she turned in a fourth-place time of 18:17.4. In the men's 5k, the top Spartan was freshman Travis Borchard with his time of 26:50.3.
Next Up
The Spartans will conclude the non-championship season on Saturday, Oct. 23 when they travel to the EMU Fall Classic in Dexter, Mich. Action begins at 10:30 a.m.
Players Mentioned
