EVANSVILLE, Ind. – University of Southern Indiana Cross Country programs turns its attention to the post season starting with the Great Lakes Valley Conference Championships Saturday in Rolla, Missouri. The event begins with the men’s 8k starting at 10:30 a.m., while the women’s follows at 11:30 a.m.
The GLVC Sport Network will air both races in their entirety on tape-delay scheduled for October 27 at 7 p.m. Additionally, there will be a live Red Carpet Preview Show airing Friday at 6:30 p.m. prior to the GLVC Championships Banquet.
GLVC DominanceÂ
For the women, the Screaming Eagles earned their seventh title since 2008 last season, including their fifth consecutive crown. The Eagles have 10 total team titles dating back to their first in 1998. The 2015 championship included four runners on the All-Conference team.
Looking to continue their dominance, the USI men’s squad heads to the GLVC Championships in pursuit of their GLVC record, 12th-straight team title and 24th overall. On its home course, the University of Wisconsin-Parkside came within two points of the Eagles in 2015, but four All-Conference runners sealed the win for USI.
Familiar Faces
Six of the top seven runners from the 2015 GLVC Championship team will appear in the 2016 event for the women. Junior Emily Roberts (Fredericktown, Ohio) and senior Jessica Reeves earned top-five finishes, placing second and fourth, respectively. Reeves also returns to postseason competition after suffering a broken leg that kept her out of the NCAA II Outdoor Track & Field Championships in the spring. Senior Cathryn Peter (Tell City, Indiana) and junior Jessica Lincoln (Palatine, Illinois) also earned All-GLVC honors with their finishes in 2015.
After losing a three-time GLVC Runner of the Year and two other former All-American runners, the men head to this year’s event with only two returners from their top five finishers last year. Seniors Noah Lutz(Evansville, Indiana) and Chase Broughton (Marengo, Indiana) look to earn consecutive All-GLVC awards after top-10 finishes in 2015. Sophomore Darin Lawrence (Indianapolis, Indiana) earned the GLVC Freshman of the Year as the top-finishing freshman in 22nd.
2016 Success
On the women’s side, Roberts and Reeves have propelled the Eagles into a top 10 ranking in the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association Top 25. The duo has combined for three conference Runner of the Week awards, and has USI ranked No. 8 in the nation.
Three Eagles have split time leading the men over the course of the season. Broughton and Lutz, as well as newcomer, junior Bastian Grau (Höchstadt, Germany), have paced USI to a No. 10 national ranking in 2016.
Freshman Dominance
Since 2005, a USI freshman has earned the GLVC Freshman of the Year award on seven occasions. Lawrence received the award in 2015, while Lutz earned the honor in 2013. Freshman Nathan Hall(Springfield, Missouri) looks to give the Eagles back-to-back winners of the award, having placed in the team’s top seven three times this year.
GLVC Runner of the Year
The GLVC Runner of the Year award goes to the top finisher of the event annually. A USI women’s runner has not finished ahead of the pack at the GLVC Championships since Jackie Henderson in 2011. Three others have earned the award on four separate occasions. This year, Roberts projects as the favorite to win the conference’s top honor as a junior.
Six Eagle men have won the GLVC Runner of the Year award on 12 separate occasions. Johnnie Guy was the last USI runner to take the individual title, doing so for the third consecutive season in 2015.
Reign of Hillyard
As coach of both the men and women’s programs, Head Coach Mike Hillyard is the recipient of the past 10 combined GLVC Coach of the Year honors. For the women, he has earned the award a total of 10 times total including his current streak of five. Hillyard has earned 13 Coach of the Year awards during his time with the men, including the past 11.
