Cross Country Looking Forward To a Fun Friday at Butler Twilight

Friday, August 30

CARMEL, IND. (NORTHVIEW CHURCH)

6:45 p.m.

Ball State University

Butler Twilight

Photo by: Ball State University Creative Services

Cross Country Looking Forward To a Fun Friday at Butler Twilight

August 29, 2019 | Cross Country

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After countless miles of training, the 14 members of the Ball State cross country program are ready to have a little fun Friday evening at the Butler Twilight.

"We're excited to get going," distance coach Rachel McFarlane said. "The girls put in a lot of work not only this summer, but also in preseason camp and over the last two weeks since school has been in session. We do all this work to race, and they are excited to get it going. That's the fun part."

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The teams back together and spent the past week working hard at camp! Ran some hills, set some goals, grew closer and ready for the season to officially get underway! #chirpchirp #chainolakesstatepark #crosscountry #wefly #ballstate

A post shared by Ball State Track & Field / XC (@ballstatetfxc) on Aug 17, 2019 at 8:49am PDT

The action is set to take place starting at 6:45 p.m. at Northview Church in Carmel, Indiana. The 5K race, which also features the host Bulldogs, IUPUI, Marian and Wabash, will be the first of five races leading up to the all-important Mid-American Conference Championships hosted by Northern Illinois on Nov. 2.

The Cardinals return eight of nine runners who competed in the MAC Championship race a year ago, including four of the team's top five scorers.

Ball State is looking to use that experience to build upon its successes from last season, which includes winning the 35-team #JennaStrong Fall Classic and seeing 11 of the team's 13 competitors post at least one career-best time during the season. So far this season, McFarlane is pleased with what she has seen from her distance group.

"This is the strongest we have been in a while, and we're ready to put ourselves to the test," McFarlane said. "We only lost one runner from last season and added a really strong, competitive freshman class. The exciting thing about our team this year is people are going to be fighting for position. It's going to be going back and forth, and we're going to be able to rely on everyone."

Looking to lead the charge from a returning runner standpoint are senior Maritza Rodriguez, juniors Cayla Eckenroth and Emmalyne Tarsa, and sophomore Karleigh Conner.

Rodriguez placed in Ball State's top five in all five meets she competed in last season, including leading the team to the finish at the Greater Louisville Classic. She also had a stellar track & field season, scoring in both the 3,000m indoors and the 10,000m outdoors.

Eckenroth also placed in Ball State's top five in all five meets she competed in last season and was Ball State's fastest runner three times. Tarsa was a top-five finisher in all seven meets a year ago, including leading the squad to the #JennaStrong Fall Classic title and pacing the team at the NCAA Great Lakes Regional.

Conner had a strong freshman campaign a season ago, including helping the Cardinals pick up the victory at the #JennaStrong Fall Classic. However, she really began to flourish during the track & field season, including finishing fourth in the 800m at the MAC Outdoor Championships.

Hey @karleighconner_ ... what are you looking forward too about tomorrow's season opener?#chirpchirp #wefly pic.twitter.com/V3OTHxaBWc
— BallStateTrack&XC (@BallStateTFXC) August 29, 2019

Adding to the talent already on the roster is a strong freshman class of Grace Dean, Juliana Stogsdill and Vivian Van Eck. Both Stogsdill and Van Eck were four-time state qualifiers for the Illinois Class 3A State Cross Country Championships, while Dean was a three-time participant in Indiana's state track meet.

"Our three freshmen have come in and made their presence felt right away," McFarlane said. "They are competitors. They want to compete, they want to win, and they want to be good. They're really going to help propel our team."

With the mix of returning talent and a strong incoming class, there is a lot to look forward to heading into the season. What has been even more exciting for the coaching staff to see, however, has been how focused the student-athletes are this season and how everyone has gelled together to form a cohesive distance unit.

"Our team is really focused this year," McFarlane concluded. "Everyone has taken a leadership role in their own way. We stressed at the beginning of the season that everyone matters, and everyone has a role on this team. We've discussed goals, individual and team, and holding each other accountable. That's one thing we've really focused on. To be successful, each individual has to be successful, which ultimately makes the team successful."

The Cardinals will put all their hard work and excitement on the line Friday at 6:45 p.m. in Carmel, and without a doubt, will have a lot of fun doing it.