Ball State University Athletics
XC Opens 2015 Season Saturday at Butler Open
September 03, 2015 | Cross Country
MUNCIE, Ind. - - A new-look Ball State cross country team will open the 2015 season Saturday, when it travels to Northview Christian Church in Carmel, Ind., for the Butler Open. The women's 5K race is slated to start at 9:45 a.m.
With a new coaching staff in place and three of its top runners from last season gone, it will be up to a young group of determined runners to lead the squad in 2015.
“Our goal for the year is simple, to improve every time out,” first-year distance coach Raynee DeGrio said. “We have a relatively young core of runners who are hungry for success. Since arriving on campus, our student-athletes have put in a lot of hard work to be successful in their training and it's starting to show. They have also done a great job buying into our vision for the program and helping lay the foundation for future success.”
The Cardinals return just five runners who competed in five-or-more events last season, led by junior Ericka Rinehart (Angola, Ind./Angola) and sophomore Jessica Bryzek (Brownsburg, Ind./Indiana Academy). Rinehart was the squad's third-best performer at the Mid-American Conference Championships (23:26), while Bryzek was Ball State's third-best runner in each of the first three meets last season.
Junior Emma Manchess (Pendleton, Ind./Pendleton Heights/IPFW) and sophomore Sarah Hoppes (Indianapolis, Ind./Warren Central) each competed in all six meet for the Cardinals last season, while sophomore Rachel Billingsley (Batesville, Ind./Oldenburg Academy) ran in five.
Also returning to the squad are juniors Jordan Jenkins (Fort Wayne, Ind./Concordia Lutheran) and Jordan Timmons (Bargersville, Ind./Center Grove) who each ran in two races last season. Timmons was Ball State's second-best performer at last season's Butler Open, finishing ninth on the 5K Northview Church Course with a time of 19:36.4.
Leading Ball State's newcomers is freshman Rachel Bales (West Lafayette, Ind./West Lafayette) who placed 37th at the 2014 Indiana High School Athletics Association State Cross Country Championship with a 5K time of 18:56.0. Prior to the state meet, Bales won the IHSAA Harrison Regional (18:37) and placed ninth at the IHSAA New Prairie Semi-State Meet (19:33.0).
Other newcomers for the 2015 campaign include freshmen Mary Momper (Fort Wayne, Ind./Bishop Dwenger) and Hannah Privette (New Knoxville, Ohio/New Knoxville).
