EVANSVILLE, Ind.— The University of Southern Indiana men’s cross country team jumped into the top-10 of the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association Top 25, moving to 10th. The women’s runners dropped a single spot to eighth.
With a fifth-place finish at the Greater Louisville Classic, the Screaming Eagles moved up in the USTFCCCA national poll after the top-seven runners finished within a minute of each other. Junior Bastian Grau (Hôchstadt, Germany) paced the Screaming Eagles with a time of 24 minutes, 40 seconds and a 29th-place finish. Seniors Noah Lutz (Evansville, Indiana) and Chase Broughton (Marengo, Indiana) also earned top-50 finishes.
USI jumped Hillsdale University in both the national poll and Midwest Region poll. The Eagles only sit behind Grand Valley State University in the region rankings.
On the women side, USI dropped one spot for the second consecutive week, falling to eighth in the national rankings. Also at the Greater Louisville Classic, junior Emily Roberts (Fredericktown, Ohio) was the top finisher for the Eagles coming in 21st. Her 5k-time of 17:20 was only seconds better than senior Jessica Reeves (Midland, Michigan), who finished 28th with a time of 17:24.
Cedarville University moved past USI in both the national and regional polls, as the Eagles fell to third in the Midwest Region. Grand Valley State fell from the top spot in the USTFCCCA national poll, but remains first in the region.
Both USI cross country programs return to action Saturday, October 8 at the Conference Crossover in Romeoville, Illinois. The women’s 6k begins at 10 a.m., while the men’s 8k follows at 10:45 a.m.
