Michigan State University
NCAA Great Lakes Regional Championships
Women's Cross Country Wins NCAA Great Lakes Regional
11/13/2010 12:00:00 AM | Cross Country
Nov. 13, 2010
Complete Results - Women | Complete Results - Men
ROCHESTER, Mich. - The Michigan State women's cross country team continued its winning ways as it won the 2010 NCAA Great Lakes Regional with a team score of 80 points, 16 points better than Michigan in second, to automatically qualify for the NCAA Championships. This marked the team's first regional crown since 2007 when MSU had won the event in back-to-back seasons (2006, 2007). Winning the race individually for the second-consecutive year was senior Emily MacLeod with a time of 20:18.8.
"Our expectations have always remained the same, and that is to see how well we can run," said director of cross country and track & field Walt Drenth. "We ran as well of a race as we are capable of. We went in wanting to see how well we could do, and that is exactly what we saw today. Today showed just how well the team has been prepared all year and their desire to win. I am really proud of the way they handled themselves after winning the Big Ten Championships two weeks ago. They really did well in finding the emotion and physical energy needed to compete today. I could not have asked for any more from the team. It was great to see all of the hard work pay off in the end."
The reigning NCAA Great Lakes Regional Athlete of the Year, MacLeod got off to a strong start in the race as she maintained a 1k pace of 3:24 to lead the race. The Loveland, Ohio, native, remained in control as she remained in the lead at the one mile marker with a pace of 5:27. At the 3k mark, MacLeod fell back a bit as she held a pace of 6:55 to trail Emily Sisson on Wisconsin by just two seconds. The Spartan senior regained the lead as she crossed the finish line with a time of 20:18.8.
With the win, MacLeod becomes the first Spartan in program history to win the regional race in back-to-back years. Her time was also the second fastest time at a regional, trailing only Danette Doetzel's time of 20:02.3 in 2004. She becomes the sixth Spartan to win a regional race and the third straight to win the event.
"I was just really trying to stay relaxed and calm," said MacLeod, "I knew the Toledo girl was going to go out fast. I just stayed back, stuck to my strategy and everything worked out."
"Emily came out today not really wanting to lead after knowing the strategy of several of the other runners," said Drenth. "She kept her poise throughout the whole race. Prior to the race we talked about minimizing both her mental and physical efforts in preparation of the NCAA Championships. After staying back for some of the race, caught up with the leaders with about 400m to go, and then took off to win the race. When you come into a race as the defending champion, you really have a lot of people looking to take a run at you. She handled the expectations well and it showed the type of person she is, as well as the type of team Michigan State is. It is about the team, not the individual."
Junior Carlie Green was not far behind MacLeod as she finished sixth individually with a time of 20:41.0. Green got out in the second pack of runners with a 1k pace of 3:27. The Milford, Mich., native, remained with the pack as she kept strong with a 5:34 mile pace. Although she dropped back at the 3k mark (7:03), Green battled back to finished the race with a time 20:41.0.
Fellow junior Rebekah Smeltzer finished the race in 11th place, clocking in at 20:53.2. Smeltzer's finish made MSU the only school to have three runners in the top 15 of the individual standings.
Sophomore Kristen Smith was the fourth Spartan to cross the finish line when she turned in a time of 21:32.2, good for 30th overall.
Freshman Julia Otwell ended the scoring for MSU when she was the fifth teammate to end the race. Otwell was 32nd with a time of 21:38.3.
Also competing for the Green and White was sophomore Katie Haines who turned in a time of 22:15.4 for 75th place, and freshman Sara Kroll who clocked in at 22:30.8 for 89th.
MacLeod, Green and Smeltzer all earned all-region for their performances today.
The men finished the race fifth with a score of 148, trailing Wisconsin (32), Indiana (76), Notre Dame (117) and Ohio State (131). Leading the men was senior Patrick Grosskopf who placed 13th overall with a time of 30:39.1. Grosskopf earned all-region honors for the second-consecutive year and earned a berth in the NCAA Championships race as an individual.
"It has really been a difficult fall for the men in terms of injuries and situations beyond our control," said Drenth. "From an appendectomy to miscellaneous injuries, we have really maximized the men's team to the greatest of their ability after dealing with things beyond their control. The men followed the race play to a `T' today and I am really proud of all the guys. Their effort today really gives them a chance to be considered for the NCAA Championships."
Sophomore Isaiah Vandoorne was the second fastest Spartan with his time of 31:09.4 for 29th place while fellow sophomore Ben Miller was just behind in 30th overall when he clocked in at 31:10.7.
Freshman Sherod Hardt was the fourth male runner to cross for MSU when he turned in a time of 31:19.2, finishing 37th overall. Senior Alex Russeau rounded out the top-five runners for the Green and White with his time of 31:21.4 to place 39th individually.
Seniors Spencer Beatty and Aaron Simoneau also ran for MSU in the race. Beatty clocked in at 32:01.1 and Simoneau finished in 32:27.8 for 68th and 91st, respectively.
The men must wait until tomorrow, Sunday, Nov. 14, to find out if they will receive one of 13 at-large bids for the NCAA Championships. The team is looking for its first back-to-back NCAA Championships appearance since 2001-02.
The Spartans conclude their 2010 season on Monday, Nov. 22 when they travel to the NCAA Championships in Terre Haute, Ind.
Players Mentioned
