Rachel McFarlane Promoted to Associate Head Coach

MUNCIE, Ind. -- Thanks to her excellent work with the Ball State distance group, Rachel McFarlane has been promoted to associate head coach for the Ball State cross country and track & field program according to head coach Brian Etelman.

"Congratulations to Coach McFarlane on her elevation to Associate Head Coach," Etelman said. "In 15 short months, she has established a culture of accountability, toughness, honesty and competitiveness within our distance group that became evident in the massive improvement seen during this cross country season. This title is a reflection of the hard work she has committed to achieving success. Rachel is an incredibly talented coach and I look forward to the positive impact she will continue to have on our wonderful student-athletes and the overall success of our track and field and cross country program."

McFarlane's work with the distance program was highlighted earlier this month when the Cardinals improved five spots from the previous year to place sixth overall at the Mid-American Conference Cross Country Championships. It was the program's best finish at the league championships since the 2007 season and tied as the seventh-best year-to-year improvement in MAC history.

"First of all, I want to thank Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Beth Goetz and Head Coach Brian Etelman for this opportunity," McFarlane said. "I am very excited and honored to receive this promotion. This allows me professional growth and to continue to develop and drive our team to success. The future of the distance program here at Ball State is very bright. I look forward to continuing to grow the program, build on the success we've had and create a championship culture."

In just her second year with the program, McFarlane helped Ball State cross country break into the top 15 of the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association Great Lakes Region Poll for the first time in over a decade. The Cardinals entered the rankings at No. 14 on Sept. 16, climbed to a high of 13th after winning the Cardinal Classic (Oct. 18) and maintained a spot in the top 15 through the Nov. 4 poll.

Individually, Ball State's runners set 29 career-best during the 2019 cross country season. Junior Cayla Eckenroth highlighted the list of individual accomplishment by winning the Cardinals Classic for her first collegiate race victory. Eckenroth also earned All-MAC Second Team honors after placing 11th at the MAC Championships with the best finish for a Ball State runner at the league championships since 2009.

In her first season working with the Cardinals distance program, McFarlane helped the group steadily improve over the course of the year, culminating with an outstanding performance at the 2019 Mid-American Conference Outdoor Championships.

Ball State's distance group scored 11 points at the league's outdoor championships, with Karleigh Conner earning fourth in the 800m, Maritza Rodriguez placing sixth in the 10,000m and Emmalyne Tarsa taking sixth in the 3,000m steeplechase. Rodriguez also placed ninth in the 5,000m at the meet.

Prior to the outdoor season, McFarlane helped Rodriguez score her first career points at a MAC Championship event during the indoor season, as she placed sixth in the 3000m to collect three points for the Cardinals.

McFarlane, who inherited a young and talented distance squad in the fall of 2018, helped 11 of her 13 student-athletes post at least one career-best time over the course of her first cross country campaign at Ball State in 2018. The Cardinals also won the 35-team #JennaStrong Fall Classic.

An accomplished distance runner herself, McFarlane helped guide Michigan State to back-to-back Big Ten cross country championships and was a two-time NCAA Cross Country Championship competitor as a student-athlete. McFarlane was a three-year letterwinner in cross country (2010-12) and a four-year letterwinner in track & field (2009-10 to 2012-13) for the Spartans.

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

Ball State University Athletics

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Karleigh Conner

Cayla Eckenroth

Maritza Rodriguez

Emmalyne Tarsa

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