Ball State University Athletics
Ball State University
Greater Louisville Classic - E.P. 'Tom' Sawyer State Park
Cross Country Excels in Greater Louisville Classic Blue Race
October 03, 2015 | Cross Country
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - - Running against some of the nation's top programs, six of Ball State cross country's seven runners turned in season-best times Saturday morning to help the squad place 19th among the 33 teams entered in the Women's 5K Blue Race of the Greater Louisville Classic at E.P. Tom Sawyer State Park in Louisville, Ky.
“I am really excited about our performance today, as we turned the corner competitively,” first-year head coach Brian Etelman said. “We look like a completely different team than we were four weeks ago, and our student-athletes are finally reaping the benefits of their hard work and buy in. This is a major confidence booster for us, and sets the tone for the final six weeks of our season.”
For the second consecutive outing, freshman Rachel Bales (West Lafayette, Ind./West Lafayette) led the Cardinals to the finish line, placing 84th among scored runners with a time of 19:17.71. The effort was just shy of her career-best time of 19:16.3 set at the Indiana Intercollegiates (Sept. 18).
Overall, the Cardinals seven scored runners posted an average 5K time of 19:35.20 in Saturday's Greater Louisville Classic Women's Blue Race, knocking almost a full minute off its average time of 20:22 the last time out.
“Coach DeGrio has been extremely deliberate with her handling of our ladies' development and we will certainly be able to show measurable progress at the end of the month,” Etelman continued. “We go back to training and ramping up the intensity of our sessions, and will get to run the same course in another two weeks, certainly with more success to come.”
Following Bales to the line for the Cardinals was junior Jordan Timmons (Bargersville, Ind./Center Grove) who shaved off over 1:23 from her first race of the season two weeks ago, placing 108th among scored runners with an effort of 19:31.03. Junior Ericka Rinehart (Angola, Ind./Angola) was next for Ball State, bettering her previous season-best time by over 32 seconds by placing 110th among scored runners in 19:33.97.
Rounding out Ball State's top five runners were sophomore Jessica Bryzek (Brownsburg, Ind./Indiana Academy) in 114th with a season-fast time of 19:37.73 and sophomore transfer Kitty Taylor (Newburgh, Ind./Castle/St. Mary-of-the-Woods College) in 134th with a career-fast effort of 19:55.53.
Also running and posting season-fast times for Ball State were junior Emma Manchess (Pendleton, Ind./Pendleton Heights) in 139th (19:59.55) and sophomore Rachel Billingsley (Batesville, Ind./Oldenburg Academy) in 182nd (20:47.20).
The Ball State cross country team returns to Louisville's E.P. Tom Sawyer State Park in two weeks, when it competes in the Pre-National Meet Saturday, Oct. 17.
For the most up-to-date news on Ball State cross country, follow @BallStateSports, @BallStateTFXC and @CoachE_BSU.
Ball State Individual Results In Women's 5K Blue Race (Scored Finish / Overall Finish)
84th / 90th - Rachel Bales (19:17.71)
108th / 118th - Jordan Timmons (19:31.03) - Season Fast
110th / 121st - Ericka Rinehart (19:33.97) - Season Fast
114th / 126th - Jessica Bryzek (19:37.73) - Season Fast
134th / 149th - Kitty Taylor (19:55.53) - Career Fast
139th / 154th - Emma Manchess (19:59.55) - Season Fast
182nd / 210th - Rachel Billingsley (20:47.20) - Season Fast
- BallStateSports.com -
Players Mentioned
