Cross Country Set for Strong Run at Greater Louisville Classic

LINK: Greater Louisville Classic Homepage

Keep the pack together.

That's the goal this week for the Ball State cross country team.

Distance coach Rachel McFarlane says she's seen her runners do it in practice. She now wants them to put it into action on race day.

"Moving up is so much easier with a group than it is alone," McFarlane said. "I focus on telling them to get up there if they see their teammates just a few steps ahead of them."

The Cardinals will take their next step ahead on the season this Saturday (Sept. 29) in Louisville, Kentucky for the Greater Louisville Classic. Ball State will be running in the 5K Gold Race with several Power Five teams including Auburn University and the University of Kentucky.

McFarlane says she doesn't want her group to take this opportunity lightly.

"I tell the girls we have to revel in this competition and the opportunity of being able to race against some ranked teams and teams we don't get to see very often," McFarlane said.

Sophomore Emmalyne Tarsa agrees with her coach's plan to keep the runners close. She says if they want to improve their score, they have to do it together.

"We want our first five runners to be as close to each other as possible," Tarsa said. "We want to keep our eyes on who's ahead of us and getting close to them so we can knock down our score as much as possible."

The Cardinals will look to knock down their score this week after knocking down most of the competition in their previous meet. Ball State finished 4th out of 21 teams in the Spartan Invitational on Sept. 14. McFarlane says she's hoping her runners will continue to have strong races as the Mid-American Conference Championship approaches next month.

"As every week progresses, we're getting more experienced and, as a team, we're growing closer," McFarlane said. "That always helps with overall success. We've seen a lot of good changes as the season has progressed."

Tarsa, who scored in the top 40 at the Spartan Invitational, says those changes have Ball State ready for a strong showing in Louisville.

"We've run in everything now from rain to heat," Tarsa said. "Going into Louisville, we're all expected to have some big races, and I think we're set to do that."

The Cardinals are set to take their place in the starting box for the women's gold race in Louisville on Saturday (Sept. 29) at 10:15 a.m.

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

Cross Country Set for Strong Run at Greater Louisville Classic

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Players Mentioned

Emmalyne Tarsa