Cross Country Closes Regular Season at EMU Fall Classic
10/22/2015 12:00:00 AM | Cross Country
Oct. 22, 2015
Race Info | Men's Season Bests | Women's Season Bests | Notes
EAST LANSING, Mich. - Michigan State cross country sends both the No. 19-ranked men's team and No. 21 women's team to the Eastern Michigan University Fall Classic at Hudson Mills Metro Park in Dexter, Michigan.
"We talk about growth every week," said Director of Cross Country and Track & Field Walt Drenth. "We had some young athletes run well the last couple of times out, and we want to see them cap the season off. Right now, this is the finale for some of those runners, and with the way the season has gone on the women's side, they may end up in a go position based on how we hold up. Fortunately, our depth is good, and it showed last Friday. This is chance for a lot of kids to back up a good performance."
The EMU Fall Classic begins with the men's race at 4 p.m. and the women's at 4:30. Both contests will be raced over a 5,000-meter, forest dirt trail course with rolling hills.
"This is a developmental opportunity to strengthen our depth," Drenth said. "We expect someone in this group, or more than one someone, to be a major contributor in the future."
At the Wisconsin Adidas Invite last week, the Spartans notched a pair of third-place team finishes in the open races. Sophomore Aubrey Wilberding took fourth with a 6K-effort of 21:08.8. Junior Molly Jeakle clocked her best time of the season, taking ninth with a 21:14.6.
In the men's open 8K, it was MSU's veterans coming through with a trio of top-10 performances. Senior Andrew Cusmano began the streak of Spartans, coming in sixth in 24:41.1. Junior Nick Soter was seventh with a time of 24:44.8, as junior Garret Zuk crossed the line in 24:48.9 to take eighth.
The men and women's varsity squads finished in 12th and 14th, respectively, at the Wisconsin Adidas Invite, which featured 20 ranked teams on the men's side and 17 of the top 30 programs in the women's race.
"The kids that have had success look at every opportunity when the gun goes off to go out and run fast, and they look to see who they can beat," said Drenth.
Results from will be available on MSUspartans.com at the conclusion of the event.

EAST LANSING, Mich. - Michigan State cross country sends both the No. 19-ranked men's team and No. 21 women's team to the Eastern Michigan University Fall Classic at Hudson Mills Metro Park in Dexter, Michigan.
"We talk about growth every week," said Director of Cross Country and Track & Field Walt Drenth. "We had some young athletes run well the last couple of times out, and we want to see them cap the season off. Right now, this is the finale for some of those runners, and with the way the season has gone on the women's side, they may end up in a go position based on how we hold up. Fortunately, our depth is good, and it showed last Friday. This is chance for a lot of kids to back up a good performance."
The EMU Fall Classic begins with the men's race at 4 p.m. and the women's at 4:30. Both contests will be raced over a 5,000-meter, forest dirt trail course with rolling hills.
"This is a developmental opportunity to strengthen our depth," Drenth said. "We expect someone in this group, or more than one someone, to be a major contributor in the future."
At the Wisconsin Adidas Invite last week, the Spartans notched a pair of third-place team finishes in the open races. Sophomore Aubrey Wilberding took fourth with a 6K-effort of 21:08.8. Junior Molly Jeakle clocked her best time of the season, taking ninth with a 21:14.6.
In the men's open 8K, it was MSU's veterans coming through with a trio of top-10 performances. Senior Andrew Cusmano began the streak of Spartans, coming in sixth in 24:41.1. Junior Nick Soter was seventh with a time of 24:44.8, as junior Garret Zuk crossed the line in 24:48.9 to take eighth.
The men and women's varsity squads finished in 12th and 14th, respectively, at the Wisconsin Adidas Invite, which featured 20 ranked teams on the men's side and 17 of the top 30 programs in the women's race.
"The kids that have had success look at every opportunity when the gun goes off to go out and run fast, and they look to see who they can beat," said Drenth.
Results from will be available on MSUspartans.com at the conclusion of the event.
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