Cross Country Earns Best MAC Championship Finish Since 2007

DEKALB, Ill. -- It was a cold, windy and muddy Saturday afternoon at the NIU North 40 Championship Cross Country Course. However, that did not deter the Ball State cross country program from turning in its best finish in a Mid-American Conference in over a decade.

Led by a second team All-MAC performance from junior Cayla Eckenroth, the Cardinals placed sixth among the 12-team field for the program's best league championship finish since earning fifth in 2007.

"I am extremely proud of how tough everyone was in such tough conditions today," head coach Brian Etelman said. "While it wasn't the perfect race, we ran the race we've been waiting on for the past couple of years. We feel like we've finally turned the corner to competing for MAC titles in the near future and it was exciting to do that with such a young team."

Two weeks after picking up her first collegiate race victory at the Cardinal Classic, Eckenroth proved she has what it takes to complete with the MAC's elite runners by clocking in at 22:19.1 on the 6K course to take 11th overall among the 101-runner field.

"Cayla showed the talent and toughness we've always known she's had," Etelman said. "She led the race for a little over a mile and hung tough with the top runners in the MAC. Her fearlessness really set the tone for the rest of the race."

In addition to leading the Cardinals to the line, Eckenroth's 11th-place effort was the best for a Ball State runner at the MAC Championships since a then-junior Ali Bishel placed fourth in 2009.

In their final MAC Cross Country Championship races, senior Hannah Cummings was second on the squad and 28th overall with a time of 22:52.0, while Maritza Rodriguez was fourth on the team and 39th overall in 23:07.9. Prior to Saturday, Cummings best finish at the league championships was 44th in 2017 and Rodriguez's was 41st that same season.

Even more exciting for the program, however, were the performances from freshmen Vivian Van Eck and Juliana Stogsdill. Van Eck recovered from an early fall and climbed seven positions over the last half of the race to finish third on the team and 31st overall in 22:55.3. Stogsdill rounded out Ball State's top five runners in 48th place at 23:18.0.

"Vivian and Juliana were great today," Etelman said. "No other team in the top half of the MAC had two freshmen score for them today. That's quite an impact for a couple of young ladies that have only been on campus for two-and-a-half months. Had Vivian not taken a hard fall early in the race, she would have been significantly better. Hats off to her for being tough, getting up and competing in the race."

Rounding out Ball State's competitors were senior Peyton Kneadler in 49th (23:20.4), redshirt freshman Meghan Hedrick in 60th (23:36.1) and sophomore Emma Cunningham in 83rd (24:26.2).

Overall, Ball State's top five runners produced an average time of 22:54.5 and scored a combined 156 points. Eastern Michigan won its fifth consecutive MAC Women's Cross Country Championship with a combined score of 60 points and an average time of 22:12.2.

Up next for the Ball State cross country program, the 2019 Great Lakes Regional hosted by Wisconsin on Friday, Nov. 15 at the Zimmer Championship Cross Country Course in Madison. The women's 6K race is scheduled to begin at 1 p.m. ET / Noon CT.

"I am proud of the guts it took for us to be with the leaders through the first half of the race," Etelman concluded. "But we also take a look back at the work and time it's taken to get our program back on track and can't help but feel like it's all been worth it. That gives me a lot of excitement for the future. In the short term, we have regionals to prepare for. In the long term, we're ready to be in the mix to win conference championships in the very near future."

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

Ball State Individual Results at the 2019 MAC Championships
Overall / Scored        Runner                              Time
11th/11th                Cayla Eckenroth                 22:19.1
28th/28th                Hannah Cummings            22:52.0
31st/31st                 Vivian Van Eck                   22:55.3
39th/39th                Maritza Rodriguez             23:07.9
48th/47th                Juliana Stogsdill                 23:18.0
49th/48th                Peyton Kneadler                23:20.4
60th/59th                Meghan Hedrick                23:36.1
83rd/DNS                 Emma Cunningham           24:26.2

2019 MAC Championships Team Results (6th of 12 Teams)
1st - Eastern Michigan - 60
2nd - Northern Illinois - 62
3rd - Miami - 93
4th - Toledo - 102
5th - Akron - 117
6th - Ball State - 156
7th - Ohio - 199
8th - Western Michigan - 222
9th - Buffalo - 224
10th - Bowling Green - 251
11th - Kent State - 268
12th - Central Michigan - 311

Cross Country Earns Best MAC Championship Finish Since 2007

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Players Mentioned

Hannah Cummings

Emma Cunningham

Cayla Eckenroth

Meghan Hedrick

Peyton Kneadler

Maritza Rodriguez

Juliana Stogsdill

Vivian Van Eck