Cross Country Closes 2019 with Top 20 Finish at Great Lakes Regional

MADISON, Wis. -- Senior Maritza Rodriguez saved her best for last, turning in a career-fast 6K time of 21:43.2 to lead the Ball State cross country team Friday afternoon at the NCAA Great Lakes Regional hosted by Wisconsin.

In her final collegiate cross country race, Rodriguez became the program's first runner in nearly a decade to place in the top 65 of a regional race, securing 62nd overall among the highly-talented field of 215 runners at the Thomas Zimmer Championship Cross Country Course.

"Maritza had a good showing today," distance coach Rachel McFarlane said. "She raced to what she knows she's capable of after an off conference race. It was great to see her end her cross country career on such a strong note, and set herself up for even better things during the track and field season."

Prior to Rodriguez's effort, the last Ball State runner to break into the top 65 at a regional race was all-time great Ali Bishel who placed 46th in what was also her final cross country event for the Cardinals in 2010.

Overall, Ball State's five scored runners clocked in with an average time of 22:24.2 and a spread of just 1:06.1. That combined effort led the Cardinals to its first top 20 team finish at the NCAA Great Lakes Regional since the 2007 season.

Ball State finished 19th overall among the 31 scored teams Friday, topping Mid-American Conference foes Western Michigan (22nd), Ohio (25th) and Bowling Green (26th). The Cardinals also out-ran in-state rivals IUPUI (23rd), Indiana State (24th), Evansville (27th), Valparaiso (28th) and Purdue Fort Wayne (30th).

"The team's growth this season has been awesome to see," McFarlane said. "They've been able to approach practice and racing with confidence and have really embraced each other."

Behind Rodriguez, Ball State's next three runners all finished within five spots and 5.5 seconds of each other. Junior Cayla Eckenroth led the trio with a 112th-place time of 22:27.3, while freshman Vivian Van Eck was right behind in 113th at 22:28.3. Rounding out the group was senior Hannah Cummings in 117th at 22:32.2.

Ball State's fifth scored runner was senior Peyton Kneadler in 131st at 22:49.1, while freshman Juliana Stogsdill placed 144th overall in 23:01.6.

"I'm most proud of the hard work that every woman on the team has put in starting in the summer," McFarlane concluded. "The direction the program is taking is a reflection of their hard work day in and day out. I expect the women to build off this season and continue learning about themselves as teammates and competitors."

The Cardinals distance runners will now turn their attention to the indoor track & field season which begins in less than a month with the Purdue Fort Wayne Mastodon Opener on Saturday, Dec. 7.

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

Ball State Individual Results at the 2019 NCAA Great Lakes Regional
Overall / Scored        Runner                              Time
62nd/62nd               Maritza Rodriguez             21:43.2*
112th/112th             Cayla Eckenroth                 22:27.3
113th/113th             Vivian Van Eck                   22:28.3
117th/117th             Hannah Cummings            22:32.8
131st/129th             Peyton Kneadler                22:49.1
144th/142nd            Juliana Stogsdill                 23:01.6

2019 NCAA Great Lakes Regional Team Results (19th of 31 Teams)
1st - Michigan State - 49
2nd - Michigan - 74
3rd - Wisconsin - 100
4th - Ohio State - 134
5th - Notre Dame - 144
--
19th - Ball State - 533

Cross Country Closes 2019 with Top 20 Finish at Great Lakes Regional

Players Mentioned

Hannah Cummings

Cayla Eckenroth

Peyton Kneadler

Maritza Rodriguez

Juliana Stogsdill

Vivian Van Eck

Players Mentioned

Hannah Cummings

Cayla Eckenroth

Peyton Kneadler

Maritza Rodriguez

Juliana Stogsdill

Vivian Van Eck