University of Illinois
NCAA Midwest Regional
Illini WXC Compete at NCAA Midwest Regional Friday
November 10, 2016 | Women's Cross Country
Women's race begins at 11 a.m. CT
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – The postseason continues for Coach Jones' squad, as they travel to Iowa City, Iowa for the NCAA Midwest Regional. The Orange and Blue will carry a sense of confidence into the meet after the Illini won the Iowa Regional Preview meet on October 1, placing four runners in the top-10. The NCAA Regional meet will take place Friday, November 11 at the Ashton Cross Country Course at 11 a.m. central time.
| NCAA Midwest Regional | |
|---|---|
| When | Friday, November 11 // 11 a.m. CT |
| Where | Ashton Cross Country Course // Iowa City, Iowa |
| Meet Resources | Meet Notes | Meet Central | 10K Map | USTFCCCA Results Wall |
| Team Information | Media Guide | Performance List | Quick Facts | Twitter |
Qualifying for Nationals
A total of 31 teams will qualify for next weekend's NCAA Championships in Terre Haute, Indiana. Automatic qualification will be given to the top two teams at each of the nine regionals. The remaining 13 slots will be filled in an at-large selection process. Individually, 38 additional athletes will be added to the NCAA Championships field and the top four runners at each regional not on a qualifying team will be automatically selected.
A Look at the Competition
The Illini enter the NCAA Midwest Regional ranked 11th in the region. Similarly to Big Ten Championships, the Illini will be battling Big Ten foes Iowa and Northwestern, ranked No. 10 and No. 12 respectively in the region. Big 12 contenders Iowa State and Oklahoma State lead the region, while Minnesota will look to challenge for one of the two automatic qualifying spots.
Coach Jones on the Meet
"We went there to get our bearings and its surroundings to set ourselves up to have the best race we could this Friday. We're setting up to race competitively against the other teams in the region and we want to set high goals for ourselves. We'd like to have a top-10 finish and I think our experience, being there on October 1, will really help us in that regard."
Time Management
The Fighting Illini bring confidence with them to the course, as three of the seven runners set a new personal-record time at the Ashton Cross Country Course back on October 1 at the Iowa Regional Preview. The Orange and Blue won the meet with Blazek, Bobart, Branch and Fox all placing in the top-10.
| Ashton CC Course PR | Personal-Record 6K PR | |
|---|---|---|
| Audrey Blazek | 21:32.7 (10/1/16) | 21:32.7 - Iowa Regional Preview (10/1/16) |
| Valerie Bobart | 21:50.4 (10/1/16) | 21:33.8 - NCAA Midwest Regional (11/13/15) |
| Denise Branch | 21:39.3 (10/1/16) | 21:19 - Bradley Pink Classic (10/14/16) |
| Amanda Fox | 21:48.7 (10/1/16) | 21:12.7 - NCAA Midwest Regional (11/14/14) |
| Diane Lipa | 23:13.5 (10/1/16) | 23:13.5 - Iowa Regional Preview (10/1/16) |
| Kim Seger | 22:26.7 (10/1/16) | 22:26.7 - Iowa Regional Preview (10/1/16) |
| Hanna Winter | 23:56.3 (101/16) | 21:08.1 - Big Ten Championships (11/1/15) |
Illini Finish 10th at Big Ten Championships
The Orange and Blue's top four stayed together, running as a pack, to put four in the top 60 at the conference meet. Redshirt junior Audrey Blazek clocked a 22:28.2 time to lead the Illini with a 46th place finish. Valerie Bobart (53), Denise Branch (55) and Amanda Fox (60) each followed Blazek with Les Bolstad Course personal-best times.
Illini Win Iowa Regional Preview
The fruits of the team's labor showed at the Iowa Regional Preview, as the Illini won the meet, beating Big Ten foes Iowa and Northwestern. Audrey Blazek led the team for the third straight meet, finishing third overall, while Denise Branch, Amanda Fox and Valerie Bobart added in top-10 finishes of their own.
Branching Out
Now a junior, Denise Branch continues to become a steady force in the Illinois line-up, placing first or second on the team at every meet this season. Branch set a personal-best time en route to finishing first on the team at the Bradley Pink Classic on October 14, clocking a personal-best 6K time of 21:18.9. Branch also led the team in the season-opener, placing fifth overall at the Illini Challenge.
Blazing a Trail
For the third straight meet, junior Audrey Blazek paced the Illini, while finishing first on the team at the Iowa Regional Preview. After placing sixth at the Illinois State Invite, Blazek bested her 2015 Griak Invite time by 10 seconds despite the soggy conditions at Les Bolstad Course and set a new personal-best time at the Iowa Regional Preview.
Trio Pacing Illini
Fighting Illini runners Audrey Blazek, Amanda Fox and Denise Branch have guided the Orange & Blue in each meet they've competed in this season. In three of those meets, the three have each placed in the top-10 individually. Blazek has taken top honors at Illinois State, Graik and Iowa, while Branch has crossed the finish line first at the Illini Challenge and Bradley Classic.
Veteran Presence
While the squad loses key contributors Alyssa Schneider and Britten Petrey, Coach Jones returns 10 upperclassmen, six seniors, for 2016. Of the 10 veterans, six set new personal-records at Big Ten Championships last November. The Illini also welcome back senior Amanda Fox after she missed the 2015 season. Fox finished second on the team, sixth overall, at the Illini Challenge.
Seger Stabilizes Top-Five
Through the first three races of the season, senior Kim Seger has quietly been a reliable runner for Coach Jones. With some lineup uncertainty entering the season, Seger has provided a consistent five runner for the team to rely on. At the Iowa Regional Preview, Seger bested her 2015 Griak Invite time by 45 seconds.
Up Next
NCAA Championships will be held in Terre Haute, Indiana on November 19, with the women's race taking place at 10 a.m. central time.
