Friday, November 15
Norton, Ohio
Michigan State University
at
NCAA Great Lakes Regional
Six Spartans Earn All-Region Honors at Great Lakes Regional Championships
11/15/2024 4:32:00 PM | Cross Country
NORTON, Ohio - Six Michigan State's cross country runners captured All-Region honors at the highly-competitive Great Lakes Regional Championships in Norton, Ohio on Friday.
"I'm proud of both of our teams' races today," Director of Cross Country and Track & Field Lisa Breznau said. "We fought hard the entire season. The men have made huge strides and had an incredible run today. Coach Aaron Simoneau has does a great job of leading the team and our guys ran incredibly well, with four men finishing All-Region. Unfortunately our men may be one of the first teams out of NCAA due to how things played out within our qualifying system. I have faith in their resolve to build throughout the rest of the year and come full circle next Fall."
Michigan State's women finished fourth in the 6k race with 111 points. The women were once again led by Big Ten Freshman of the Year Rachel Forsyth, who finished second with a time of 19:31.7. Kaitlyn Hynes finished seventh with a time of 19:46.3. Both Forsyth and Hynes earned All-Region honors for their efforts.
Taylor Ewert was 32nd with a time of 20:27.4, with Olivia Millen crossing the line in 20:28.2, which was good for 33rd. Millen set a new personal best in the Great Lakes Regional.
"Our women are in a rebuild year and are learning something new with each race," Breznau said. "At the same time, our foundation of consistency and building as a team has remained steady. I'm proud of their work and growth. As of now, it looks like they have qualified to the NCAA meet; an incredible step for a newly experienced crew."
The men finished fourth in the 10k race, tying Butler with 104 points. It was their best finish since ending fourth at the 2021 Great Lakes Regional. Riley Hough's seventh-place finish was the best by a Spartan since All-American Morgan Beadlescomb finished third in 2021.Hough crossed the line in 29:26.9, which was the best-ever by a Spartan in a 10k NCAA Regional race. Hough also hugely improved on his 2022 time at the Great Lakes Regional of 30:36.1.
In his first collegiate 10k, Lezawe Osterink finished 19th with a time of 29:36.3. Hough and Osterink were joined on the All-Region team by Nolan and Pennewell. Andrew Nolan earned his second-straight All-Region honor with a 23rd-place finish with a time of 29:45.7. Jack Pennewell was the final Spartan to finish in the top 25, finishing 25th (29:48.1).
This was the 14th time in the last 16 seasons that at least six Spartan runners earned All-Region honors.
As only the top two finishing teams from each of the nine regions around the nation are granted an automatic bid to the NCAA Championships, both the men and the women will await a verdict in the selection show on Saturday, Nov. 16 at 5 p.m. for whether they will officially earn at-large bids.
"I'm proud of both of our teams' races today," Director of Cross Country and Track & Field Lisa Breznau said. "We fought hard the entire season. The men have made huge strides and had an incredible run today. Coach Aaron Simoneau has does a great job of leading the team and our guys ran incredibly well, with four men finishing All-Region. Unfortunately our men may be one of the first teams out of NCAA due to how things played out within our qualifying system. I have faith in their resolve to build throughout the rest of the year and come full circle next Fall."
Michigan State's women finished fourth in the 6k race with 111 points. The women were once again led by Big Ten Freshman of the Year Rachel Forsyth, who finished second with a time of 19:31.7. Kaitlyn Hynes finished seventh with a time of 19:46.3. Both Forsyth and Hynes earned All-Region honors for their efforts.
Taylor Ewert was 32nd with a time of 20:27.4, with Olivia Millen crossing the line in 20:28.2, which was good for 33rd. Millen set a new personal best in the Great Lakes Regional.
"Our women are in a rebuild year and are learning something new with each race," Breznau said. "At the same time, our foundation of consistency and building as a team has remained steady. I'm proud of their work and growth. As of now, it looks like they have qualified to the NCAA meet; an incredible step for a newly experienced crew."
The men finished fourth in the 10k race, tying Butler with 104 points. It was their best finish since ending fourth at the 2021 Great Lakes Regional. Riley Hough's seventh-place finish was the best by a Spartan since All-American Morgan Beadlescomb finished third in 2021.Hough crossed the line in 29:26.9, which was the best-ever by a Spartan in a 10k NCAA Regional race. Hough also hugely improved on his 2022 time at the Great Lakes Regional of 30:36.1.
In his first collegiate 10k, Lezawe Osterink finished 19th with a time of 29:36.3. Hough and Osterink were joined on the All-Region team by Nolan and Pennewell. Andrew Nolan earned his second-straight All-Region honor with a 23rd-place finish with a time of 29:45.7. Jack Pennewell was the final Spartan to finish in the top 25, finishing 25th (29:48.1).
This was the 14th time in the last 16 seasons that at least six Spartan runners earned All-Region honors.
As only the top two finishing teams from each of the nine regions around the nation are granted an automatic bid to the NCAA Championships, both the men and the women will await a verdict in the selection show on Saturday, Nov. 16 at 5 p.m. for whether they will officially earn at-large bids.
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