Michigan State University Athletics
Cross Country Travels for Great Lakes Regionals
11/12/2015 12:00:00 AM | Cross Country
Nov. 12, 2015 
Live Results | Notes | Meet Central
EAST LANSING, Mich. - Michigan State travels to Madison on Friday, Nov. 13, for the NCAA Great Lakes Regional. The women's 6,000-meter race takes off at 1 p.m. EDT, while the men's 10K begins at 2 p.m.
"Both teams have been training really well, and we are as healthy as we are going to be," said Director of Cross Country and Track & Field Walt Drenth. "I think the women have built momentum with who we have, and the young ones are growing up quickly. The guys didn't run with the sense of purpose we needed at the Big Ten Championships, but they will be better and make a good statement to vie for an automatic spot. We just have to compete well."
The Spartans enter the week ranked No. 3 in the region on both the men and women's sides. MSU was picked first in the women's preseason poll, while the men were picked fourth.
Friday's race marks the second time the Spartans have raced on Thomas Zimmer Championship Course in 2015. The men took 12th at the Wisconsin Adidas Invite on Nov. 16, racing the 8K edition of the course. The women combined for a 14th-place finish in a field that featured 17 ranked programs.
Last time out, the men's team finished fifth at the Big Ten Championships. Sophomore Clark Ruiz earned the first conference honors of his career, finishing in 13th for Second Team All-Big Ten accolades. MSU continued to hold a slim margin between runners, as the team's No. 2-4 runners were separated by 0.5 seconds. Redshirt senior Caleb Rhynard led the Spartan chase pack with a 21st-place finish in 24:02.2. Junior T.J. Carey clocked a 24:02.4, while junior Sherod Hardt finished in 24:04.7.
"The guys didn't get into the run very well," Drenth said. "This week they have to be locked into their jobs, and the difference in an 8K and 10K is immense. The extra distance plays a little more into our favor. This course plays more to our strengths than the last one did."
On the women's side, junior Alexis Wiersma led the charge with a second-place finish. Wiersma held the position for much of the race on her way to a personal-best 19:49.9 and the second All-Big Ten honors of her career. Junior Shelby Jackson was the second MSU harrier to finish, crossing the line in 20:31.2 for 17th. Senior Kate Landwher made her second appearance of the season, finishing in 24th with an effort of 20:51.3.
"Alexis has better practices every day," said Drenth. "She led for much of that race, and you could tell she would be second. She ran a smart race and will carry that into this weekend. This is about getting the team to the nationals though. She isn't looking to steal a win, but how she can help us be the best team we can be."
Both programs had good outings at the Great Lakes Regional in 2014, as the women won with a score of 28 points and the men combined for second place with 82 points. The women last year placed seven runners on the All-Regional list, while the men notched four All-Regional honors.
The top two teams from each region will earn automatic qualifying positions to the NCAA Championships in Louisville, Kentucky, on Nov. 21. There are 13 at-large bids, which include a review of the season and finish at regionals.
Results will be posted to MSUSpartans.com, along with the meet central page on UWBadgers.com and on the NCAA website. Live results can be found at the link above.
Live Results | Notes | Meet Central
EAST LANSING, Mich. - Michigan State travels to Madison on Friday, Nov. 13, for the NCAA Great Lakes Regional. The women's 6,000-meter race takes off at 1 p.m. EDT, while the men's 10K begins at 2 p.m.
"Both teams have been training really well, and we are as healthy as we are going to be," said Director of Cross Country and Track & Field Walt Drenth. "I think the women have built momentum with who we have, and the young ones are growing up quickly. The guys didn't run with the sense of purpose we needed at the Big Ten Championships, but they will be better and make a good statement to vie for an automatic spot. We just have to compete well."
The Spartans enter the week ranked No. 3 in the region on both the men and women's sides. MSU was picked first in the women's preseason poll, while the men were picked fourth.
Friday's race marks the second time the Spartans have raced on Thomas Zimmer Championship Course in 2015. The men took 12th at the Wisconsin Adidas Invite on Nov. 16, racing the 8K edition of the course. The women combined for a 14th-place finish in a field that featured 17 ranked programs.
Last time out, the men's team finished fifth at the Big Ten Championships. Sophomore Clark Ruiz earned the first conference honors of his career, finishing in 13th for Second Team All-Big Ten accolades. MSU continued to hold a slim margin between runners, as the team's No. 2-4 runners were separated by 0.5 seconds. Redshirt senior Caleb Rhynard led the Spartan chase pack with a 21st-place finish in 24:02.2. Junior T.J. Carey clocked a 24:02.4, while junior Sherod Hardt finished in 24:04.7.
"The guys didn't get into the run very well," Drenth said. "This week they have to be locked into their jobs, and the difference in an 8K and 10K is immense. The extra distance plays a little more into our favor. This course plays more to our strengths than the last one did."
On the women's side, junior Alexis Wiersma led the charge with a second-place finish. Wiersma held the position for much of the race on her way to a personal-best 19:49.9 and the second All-Big Ten honors of her career. Junior Shelby Jackson was the second MSU harrier to finish, crossing the line in 20:31.2 for 17th. Senior Kate Landwher made her second appearance of the season, finishing in 24th with an effort of 20:51.3.
"Alexis has better practices every day," said Drenth. "She led for much of that race, and you could tell she would be second. She ran a smart race and will carry that into this weekend. This is about getting the team to the nationals though. She isn't looking to steal a win, but how she can help us be the best team we can be."
Both programs had good outings at the Great Lakes Regional in 2014, as the women won with a score of 28 points and the men combined for second place with 82 points. The women last year placed seven runners on the All-Regional list, while the men notched four All-Regional honors.
The top two teams from each region will earn automatic qualifying positions to the NCAA Championships in Louisville, Kentucky, on Nov. 21. There are 13 at-large bids, which include a review of the season and finish at regionals.
Results will be posted to MSUSpartans.com, along with the meet central page on UWBadgers.com and on the NCAA website. Live results can be found at the link above.
Players Mentioned
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