The University of Southern Indiana men’s and women’s cross country teams open the 2016 season Friday when they host the Stegemoller Classic at Angel Mounds.
USI Women’s Cross Country begins its pursuit of a sixth straight Great Lakes Valley Conference championship Friday with a 6 p.m. start time to the Stegemoller Classic. Returning are six of the top seven runners from last year’s team that finished 10th at the NCAA II National Championships in Joplin, Missouri.
Junior Emily Roberts (Fredericktown, Ohio) placed fifth at the 2015 National Championships, while senior Jessica Reeves (Midland, Michigan) and junior Jessica Lincoln (Palatine, Illinois) placed 49th and 97th, respectively.
The Screaming Eagles begin the season ranked 10th in the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association national poll and fourth in the Midwest Region poll.
With the loss of several All-Americans, the men’s cross country team will rely on a senior class of four as well as a handful of other returnees when it competes in the Stegemoller at 6:30 p.m. Friday evening.
Senior Chase Broughton (Marengo, Indiana), an All-American on the track this past spring, and senior Noah Lutz (Evansville, Indiana) garnered All-GLVC nods as the Eagles capture their 11th consecutive GLVC title in 2015. Broughton also earned All-Region honors as USI finished second at the NCAA II Midwest Region Championships and 10th at the NCAA II National Champions.
Juniors Jesse Stanley (Chandler, Indiana) and Cain Parker (Petersburg, Indiana) look to increase their roles after strong performances at the regionals and national championships, while sophomore Darin Lawrence (Indianapolis, Indiana) is the reigning GLVC Freshman of the Year.
Despite the loss of three time GLVC cross country champion, Johnnie Guy, expectations for the Eagles are high. USI, with a strong recruiting class, begins the year ranked eighth, nationally, by the USTFCCCA. The Eagles also are ranked second in the region poll.
Friday’s meet, which features USI, Bellarmine University and Brescia University, will be a four-kilometer race for the women and a 6k for the men. The Stegemoller Classic will be the only home event for either team until the NCAA II Midwest Region Championships November 5, which also take place at Angel Mounds.
