Cross Country Heads to Greater Louisville Classic

MUNCIE, Ind. - - Ball State's cross country runners will lace up their shoes for the fifth consecutive week on Saturday when they compete in the 16th Annual Louisville Sports Commission Cross Country Classic at E.P. "Tom" Sawyer State Park in Louisville, Kentucky.

The Cardinals' top seven runners are set to compete in the 10:15 a.m. Gold Women's 5K race which features 43 teams from across the country.

Highlighting the list of entered teams are runners from five programs ranked in the latest U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) NCAA Division I Women's Cross Country National Coaches Poll; No. 13 Boise State, No. 18 Wisconsin, No. 20 Minnesota, No. 25 Vanderbilt and No. 29 Furman.

In the team's four races so far this season, four different runners have lead Ball State to the finish line.

Freshman Cayla Eckenroth made the most of her collegiate debut, crossing the finish line in 18:27.3 to take second place among the 41 runners at the season-opening 5K Butler Twilight (Sept. 1).

Sophomore Maritza Rodriguez was the second runner to lead the Cardinals, shaving nearly 15 seconds off her previous career-best 5K time to cross the finish line in 18:29.2 and place 22nd among scored runners at the 90-competitor Illinois State University Country Financial Invitational (Sept. 8).

Senior Jordan Timmons became the third different runner to lead Ball State to the finish line at the Indiana Intercollegiate Championships (Sept. 15), placing 18th among scored runners in the 30-compeitor Big State field with a 6K time of 24:50.8.

At last weekend's RedHawk Rumble (Sept. 23), it was sophomore Hannah Cummings who crossed the finish line first for the Cardinals, placing fifth among the 46 runners with a career-fast 6K time of 22:47.7.

Cummings, Eckenroth and Rodriguez will be in action once again Saturday at the Greater Louisville Classic and will be joined by senior Jessica Bryzek, redshirt sophomore Stephanie McElhaney, sophomore Brooke Talhelm and freshman Emmalyne Tarsa.

Bryzek is the only Ball State runner with collegiate experience at E.P. "Tom" Sawyer State Park, running a pair of races on the course her sophomore season.

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

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Players Mentioned

Jessica Bryzek

Hannah Cummings

Cayla Eckenroth

Stephanie McElhaney

Maritza Rodriguez

Brooke Talhelm

Emmalyne Tarsa

Jordan Timmons