Michigan State University Athletics
Friday, October 12
State College, Penn.
Michigan State University
at
Penn State National Open
Spartans Set to Run at PSU National Open Friday
10/11/2018 10:23:00 AM | Cross Country
The women will run a 6k, followed by a 5.2 mile run for the men.
EAST LANSING, Mich. -- Michigan State cross country returns to the course Friday in Pennsylvania for the Penn State National Open at the Blue/White Golf Courses in University Park.
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The women's 6,000-meter race will begin at 10:45 a.m., followed by the men's 5.2 mile (8.36 km) race at 11:30 a.m. on the course designed by legend of the sport, Harry Groves, a bit farther than the normal 8,000 meters ran by the men.
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MSU had a week off after racing at the Nuttycombe Wisconsin Invitational that featured top teams from around the country and served as a preview of the upcoming championship season.
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"I've seen confidence grow in both of our groups over the last week in practice," Director of Cross Country and Track & Field Walt Drenth said. "I think they came away from Wisconsin thinking there was quite a bit more for all of us. We saw some really good growth out of everyone we took, and realized we're ahead of where we thought with some of our runners." Â Â Â Â
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The 14th-ranked women's team will get a boost from the return of one of the team's top runners. Redshirt-junior, Jeralyn Poe, who missed the beginning of the season with an injury, will make her first start of the season Friday at Penn State. Poe was the top Spartan to cross the finish line at the 2017 Big Ten Championships and Regionals, and second to finish at last year's NCAA Championships.
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After a strong showing in Wisconsin against highly ranked teams, Poe returning to a lineup that already features quality depth in redshirt-senior Erin McDonald, sophomore Maggie Farrell, redshirt-junior Annie Fuller, sophomore India Johnson and junior Amber Way, sets up for a strong run heading into the championship season.
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"Adding JP (Poe) back in to the mix after seeing great growth out of some others is exciting," Drenth said. "I feel like we have 13 people who can help us be really successful."
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The men, who are receiving votes in this week's USTFCCCA Coaches' Poll, will look to improve on their showing in Wisconsin against a field that included seven of the top 10 teams in the country and 19 of the top 30. Redshirt-senior Justine Kiprotich set a career-best last time out, while redshirt-junior Matthew Thomas posted a season-best time.
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The Spartans typically travel to Wisconsin for the Nuttycombe Invitational this week, but it was moved up two weeks because of the course hosting the NCAA Championships this year. This will be the first time MSU has competed at the Penn State National Open in Drenth's 12 years overseeing the program.
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The course at Penn State, a staple in the sport for decades, was set-up by Graves before the typical 8,000-meter format of racing for the men was introduced, and will provide an extra challenge on the men's side.
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"Coach Graves is a legendary coach, a Hall-of-Famer, and somebody I have great affinity for," Drenth said. "It's a historic course that has been around for a long time, and a lot of really good people have run over it. We're excited to be there."
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The women's 6,000-meter race will begin at 10:45 a.m., followed by the men's 5.2 mile (8.36 km) race at 11:30 a.m. on the course designed by legend of the sport, Harry Groves, a bit farther than the normal 8,000 meters ran by the men.
Â
MSU had a week off after racing at the Nuttycombe Wisconsin Invitational that featured top teams from around the country and served as a preview of the upcoming championship season.
Â
"I've seen confidence grow in both of our groups over the last week in practice," Director of Cross Country and Track & Field Walt Drenth said. "I think they came away from Wisconsin thinking there was quite a bit more for all of us. We saw some really good growth out of everyone we took, and realized we're ahead of where we thought with some of our runners." Â Â Â Â
Â
The 14th-ranked women's team will get a boost from the return of one of the team's top runners. Redshirt-junior, Jeralyn Poe, who missed the beginning of the season with an injury, will make her first start of the season Friday at Penn State. Poe was the top Spartan to cross the finish line at the 2017 Big Ten Championships and Regionals, and second to finish at last year's NCAA Championships.
Â
After a strong showing in Wisconsin against highly ranked teams, Poe returning to a lineup that already features quality depth in redshirt-senior Erin McDonald, sophomore Maggie Farrell, redshirt-junior Annie Fuller, sophomore India Johnson and junior Amber Way, sets up for a strong run heading into the championship season.
Â
"Adding JP (Poe) back in to the mix after seeing great growth out of some others is exciting," Drenth said. "I feel like we have 13 people who can help us be really successful."
Â
The men, who are receiving votes in this week's USTFCCCA Coaches' Poll, will look to improve on their showing in Wisconsin against a field that included seven of the top 10 teams in the country and 19 of the top 30. Redshirt-senior Justine Kiprotich set a career-best last time out, while redshirt-junior Matthew Thomas posted a season-best time.
Â
The Spartans typically travel to Wisconsin for the Nuttycombe Invitational this week, but it was moved up two weeks because of the course hosting the NCAA Championships this year. This will be the first time MSU has competed at the Penn State National Open in Drenth's 12 years overseeing the program.
Â
The course at Penn State, a staple in the sport for decades, was set-up by Graves before the typical 8,000-meter format of racing for the men was introduced, and will provide an extra challenge on the men's side.
Â
"Coach Graves is a legendary coach, a Hall-of-Famer, and somebody I have great affinity for," Drenth said. "It's a historic course that has been around for a long time, and a lot of really good people have run over it. We're excited to be there."
Players Mentioned
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