Ball State University Athletics
Cross Country Opens 2016 Campaign Friday at Butler Open
September 01, 2016 | Cross Country
MUNCIE, Ind. - - When the Ball State cross country team takes the starting line at Friday's Butler Open at Northview Church in Carmel, Ind., there will be a lot of new faces looking to make an immediate impact for the squad.
On a roster comprised of 16 student-athletes, the Cardinals enter the 2016 season with nine newcomers including several freshmen who are expected to be key contributors right away.
"Our freshmen are in a really unique position," second-year head coach Brian Etelman said. "A lot of times really talented freshmen aren't necessarily relied upon to do a whole lot except blend in. We actually need our freshmen to do well in order to be successful. We've worked on building their confidence enough to know when they go into each situation, they should be counted upon. It's not necessarily pressure, it's us believing in them, supporting them and reminding them how good they are."
When breaking down the freshman class, three names stood out for Etelman; Hannah Cummings, Brooke Talhelm and Emily Tromp.
Cummings joins the Ball State squad after earning four letters in cross country at Saline High School where she was a two-time all-state honoree. As a junior, she placed 20th at the Michigan State Meet with a career-fast time of 18.21.
Talhelm comes from a family with a long line of runners, including her sister Christine Talhelm who was a four-year letterwinner for the Ball State cross country and track & field programs from 2008-09 to 2011-12. At Franklin Central, Brooke Talhelm was a three-time all-conference honoree and helped guide her squad to a fourth-place finish at the state meet her freshman year.
Tromp was a two-year letterwinner in cross country at Hibbing High School where she earned all-area honors as a junior and senior. A Minnesota State AA Meet qualifier as a junior, Tromp was also team captain as a senior.
"Our strength and our weakness is actually the same," Etelman said. "We have really talented freshmen. From an energy standpoint, it's really going to make a huge difference for us. Those kids can run, particularly Hannah Cummings, Brooke Talhelm and Emily Tromp. But at the same time, we're going to be as good as 18 year old kids. It's no different than starting a freshman quarterback – there's going to be some really good stuff and there's some stuff that we know is not going to go so well. The best thing is the kids know we expect them to be up and down and that's okay, as long as we're running fast in October."
On the other end of the spectrum, the Cardinals return six letterwinners from last season's squad. Redshirt junior Jordan Timmons led the Cardinals at the 2015 Mid-American Conference Championships, while senior Ericka Rinehart paced the squad at the NCAA Great Lakes Regional. Both, along with junior Jessica Bryzek, will be looked upon to take the newcomers under their wings and guide them over the course of the season.
"Our upperclassmen knew coming into the season we were going to be a really young team," distance coach Raynee DeGrio said. "They embraced that as early as last year, and knew they were going to be in leadership positions. Ericka Rinehart has done a great job with our freshmen and was a big part of the recruiting process for us last year. Jessica Bryzek has been a big part of our program and is a good leader for our group. She is the embodiment of our team culture. Jordan Timmons led us for a lot of the 2015 season, and in addition to being a vocal leader, she definitely leads by example. She sets the tone for how we do things."
Heading into Friday's 6:45 p.m. race in Carmel, the Cardinals as a whole feel good about how training has progressed and look forward to surprising a few opponents this season and climbing back towards the top of the MAC rankings.
"We have had some really good early season workouts," DeGrio said. "The camaraderie among our group is good, so we're definitely hoping to make some huge improvements from last year. Hopefully, things will continue to come together for us as the season moves forward. We are excited to start the year and ready to surprise a few people."
For the most up-to-date news on Ball State cross country, follow @BallStateSports, @BallStateTFXC and @CoachE_BSU.
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