Cross Country Returns to Oxford for Saturday’s MAC Championships

MUNCIE, Ind.— The Ball State cross country team will toe the line this Saturday at noon at the Miami University Cross Country Course in Oxford, Ohio trying to accomplish something it has not done in a long time—finish in the top half of the standings at the Mid-American Conference Championships.

Third-year distance coach Raynee DeGrio believes if all goes well, that goal is attainable.

"I think if we hit everything on the right day, there's definitely an opportunity there," DeGrio said. "Our conference is really deep this year, and a lot of programs have stepped up their game from last year. I believe we are one of those teams, and we are ready to make the move into the top half of the conference."

Last season, Ball State cracked the top-10 at the MAC Championships, something DeGrio said her team had set as a goal at that time. Now, the team looks to make another move up the standings with a combination of talented underclassmen and experienced seniors.

DeGrio says while there are a couple of clear leaders, the entire team is full of runners who are capable of taking charge.

"We're a pretty balanced team, and I think there's any number of runners who could step up and be our number one on any given day," DeGrio said.

While four runners have led the Cardinals to the finish line this season, the team has been paced by sophomores Hannah Cummings (Ann Arbor, Mich./Saline) and Maritza Rodriguez (Indianapolis, Ind./Ben Davis) at four of the last five meets.

Cummings posted her career-best 5K time of 18:15.37 at the Louisville Classic (Sept. 30) to pace the squad, one week after leading the team at the RedHawk Rumble (Sept. 23) with a time of 22:47.7 in her first career 6K race.

Rodriguez led the way at the Bradley "Pink" Classic (Oct. 13) with a career-fast 6K time of 22:28.2. She was also the first Cardinal to cross the finish line at the Illinois State University Country Financial Invitational (Sept. 8) with a career-best 5K time of 18:29.2.

"Hannah and Maritza have done a really good job leading the team this year," DeGrio said. "They know the important role they have on our team, and how crucial they are to our team's success Saturday."

Overall, Ball State will put five sophomores on the line at the Miami University Cross Country Course, along with two seniors and a pair freshman. DeGrio says the depth of the group is what sets this team apart from those of previous years.

"We have a little more wiggle room this year," DeGrio said. "We weren't as deep through seven runners last year, and I think we're pretty deep through seven to nine runners this year."

The Cardinals do have one element they hope will assist them in reaching their goal—they have already paid a visit to Miami University once this year, placing second out of three teams at the Redhawk Rumble.

DeGrio believes the previous experience on the course will work in her team's favor.

"We know it's going to be a fast course," DeGrio said. "It's not so much of an advantage over our competition, but it puts us more at ease and will make us more comfortable with the layout."

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Cross Country Returns to Oxford for Saturday’s MAC Championships

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Players Mentioned

Hannah Cummings

Maritza Rodriguez