Cross country teams prepare for ‘dogfight’
October 31, 2008
Come Sunday, Ann Arbor, Mich., will provide the stage for one of the most important cross country meets of the season – the Big Ten Championships.
After a fourth-place finish in last year’s event, the No. 10 Illinois women’s cross country team will face stiff competition from No. 7 Minnesota, No. 8 Michigan and No. 9 Michigan State.
“It’s probably one of the top two races we’ll run all year. Obviously, the Big Ten Conference meet and that National Championship meet are probably equal as far as importance for us,” head coach Jeremy Rasmussen. “The Big Ten is just really good. There’s four teams ranked in the top 10, so it’s definitely going to be a battle.”
The Orange and Blue have confidence in four-time All-American junior Angela Bizzarri and senior teammate Katie Engel, who placed third at Pre-Nationals on Oct. 18.
“I’d like to finish in the top few individuals. It’s hard to really say exactly where,” Bizzarri said. “Hopefully finish high for the team. That’s my personal goal.”
Get The Daily Illini in your inbox!
Following a fantastic start to her collegiate career, freshman Kristin Sutherland earned a spot on this weekend’s squad.
The Illinois men’s team will also make the trip to Ann Arbor and has targeted a top-half finish. A field featuring defending Big Ten champion No. 6 Wisconsin, as well as No. 9 Michigan, No. 19 Indiana and No. 20 Minnesota, will pose a challenge for the unranked Orange and Blue.
“The Big Ten, it’s undoubtedly the deepest cross country conference in the country,” head coach Wendel McRaven said. “From top to bottom, there are no schools in the conference that aren’t serious about cross country. When you go to the Big Ten meet, you know you’re in for a dogfight.”
The Illini will be led by junior Jeremy Stevens, who has a been key for the men, leading the team in three out of the four meets he ran in. Out of the nine-man squad, six freshmen runners will be running, which tells the story of a season that has highlighted the promising youth of the men’s program.
“I know Pre-Nationals kind of left a bad taste in my mouth,” Stevens said. “I didn’t perform how I wanted to, so I’m looking really improve and actually show what I got.”