Cross Country Looks for Continued Improvement Friday at NCAA Regionals

LIVE RESULTS | MEET CENTRAL

MUNCIE, Ind. - - Coming off its first top 10 finish at the Mid-American Conference Championships since the 2012 season, the Ball State cross country team looks to build on that effort Friday when it travels to Madison, Wis., for the 2016 NCAA Great Lakes Regional hosted by Wisconsin at the Thomas Zimmer Championship Course.

The women's 6K race is slated to start at 1 p.m. ET / Noon CT and will feature 34 teams. Four of those squads enter the Great Lakes Regional ranked among the top 30 in the latest U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) National Coaches' Poll. The ranked teams are; No. 5 Michigan, No. 13 Eastern Michigan, No. 14 Notre Dame and No. 22 Michigan State.

"We are excited to race again," second-year distance coach Raynee DeGrio said. "We feel like we have some unfinished business coming out of the conference meet. While we placed in the top 10 at MAC for the first time in several years, we are looking to turn in a performance Friday that is more indicative of where we are as a program. This will be an excellent opportunity for us to race against the top teams in our region and show we are ready to take the next steps towards becoming a national-caliber program."

The last time out, the Cardinals' five scored runners combined for an average time of 23:01 to lead the team to a 10th-place finish at the MAC Cross Country Championship ran Oct. 29 at the Kent State University Golf Club. It was Ball State's first top 10 finish at the league's premier event since 2012, with the team's average time being the best at the MAC Championship since 2011.

Redshirt freshman Stephanie McElhaney (Huntington, Ind./Huntington North) led the Cardinals to the finish line in her first run at the MAC Championship, placing 41st among scored runners with a 6K time of 22:49.3. It was Ball State's best individual effort at the league meet since then-senior MaryKate Mellen placed 29th overall (22:29.0) in 2012.

Senior Ericka Rinehart (Angola, Ind./Angola) and redshirt junior Jordan Timmons (Bargersville, Ind./Center Grove) are the only two Cardinals with experience running at the Thomas Zimmer Championship Course, having both competed in the NCAA Great Lakes Regional as freshman in 2013 and again last season.

The top two teams and the top four individual runners from a non-qualifying team at Friday's regional meet advance to the NCAA Championship Race. Fans can follow the Cardinals' progress at the Great Lakes Regional with live results here: http://www.harriersolutions.com/xclive/

For the most up-to-date news on Ball State cross country, follow @BallStateSports, @BallStateTFXC and @CoachE_BSU.

Ball State Top Times Entering MAC Championships

Runner	Top 5K Time	Top 6K Time
Emily Tromp – Fr.	18:17.0 (9/30/16)	22:22.7 (10/14/16)
Jessica Bryzek – Jr.	18:24.8 (9/30/16)	23:00.4 (10/14/16)
Stephanie McElhaney – RFr.	18:30.4 (9/30/16)	22:27.7 (10/14/16)
Brooke Talhelm – Fr.	18:30.9 (9/30/16)	23:31.9 (10/14/16)
Jordan Timmons – R-Jr.	18:31.5 (9/30/16)	22:46.8 (10/14/16)
Lauren Whitehouse – Fr.	18:39.6 (9/23/16)	22:57.4 (10/29/16)
Maritza Rodriguez – Fr.	18:44.1 (9/23/16)	23:15.8 (10/14/16)
Hannah Cummings – Fr.	18:49.2 (9/30/16)	N/A
Danielle Dahl – Sr.	18:56.20 (10/3/14)	23:57 (11/15/13)
Ericka Rinehart – Sr.	19:09.6 (9/30/16)	22:40.3 (10/14/16)
Kitty Taylor – Jr.	19:13.6 (9/23/16)	23:23.1 (10/31/15)
Peyton Kneadler – Fr.	19:28.9 (9/23/16)	23:51.6 (10/14/16)
Emma Manchess – Sr.	19:36.83 (9/13/14)	23:49 (11/1/14)
Meliza Rodriguez – Fr.	19:41.6 (9/23/16)	N/A
Emma Maddelein – Fr.	20:29.6 (9/23/16)	N/A
Mary Momper – So.	N/A	N/A

- BallStateSports.com -

Cross Country Looks for Continued Improvement Friday at NCAA Regionals

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Players Mentioned

Jessica Bryzek

Hannah Cummings

Danielle Dahl

Peyton Kneadler

Emma Maddelein

Emma Manchess

Stephanie McElhaney

Mary Momper

Ericka Rinehart

Maritza Rodriguez

Meliza Rodriguez

Brooke Talhelm

Kitty Taylor

Jordan Timmons

Emily Tromp

Lauren Whitehouse