University of Illinois
John McNichols Invite
Cross Country Returns To Action At John McNichols Invitational
September 20, 2019 | Men's Cross Country, Women's Cross Country
Men's 8K starts at 8 a.m. CT; women's 5K will follow at 8:45.
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - Fighting Illini cross country returns to action Saturday, competing at the John McNichols Invitational hosted by Indiana State. The men's 8K will begin at 8 a.m. CT, and the women's 5K will follow at 8:45 a.m. CT.
| John McNichols Invitational | |
|---|---|
| When | Saturday, September 21 |
| Where | LaVern Gibson Championship Cross Country Course // Terre Haute, Ind. |
| Watch | FloTrack |
| Meet Information | Live Results | Men's Entries | Women's Entries | Men's 8K Course Map | Women's 5K Course Map |
| Performance Lists | Women's Performance List | Men's Performance List |
| Team Information | Illini Notes | Men's Quick Facts | Women's Quick Facts |
| Social Media | @IlliniTrackXC  | #Illini | illinitrackxc  | Facebook  | YouTube  |
Meet Information
Follow the Meet
Viewers can stream the meet with a subscription to FloTrack.org. Fans can follow @IlliniTrackXC for updates during the meet. A recap of the day's action will be posted following the conclusion of both races on fightingillini.com.
Running for the Illini
Men: Zach Dale, Luke Goebel, Logan Hall, Jack LaLonde, Eddie Lennon, Irwin Loud, Michael Madiol, Bennett Melone, Will O'Brien, Jack Roberts, Edwin Siuda, Colin Yandel
Women: Nicki Cast, Rebecca Craddock, Caroline Fix, Katie Hohe, Olivia Howell, Lauren Katz, Mikaela Lucki, Madison Marasco, Allison McGrath, Emma Milburn, Katie Stapleton, Emma Wilson
Coach Haveman On the John McNichols Invitational
Women's 5K:
"We are looking forward to the opportunity this weekend is presenting us. Our women will be able to gain great experience against the top teams in the country . It is imperative to have meets like the McNichols Invite on the schedule if we want to reach the goals we have established as a team. We are excited to have our women test themselves a bit this weekend."
Men's 8K:
"We will be looking for our men's team, composed mostly of true freshmen, to continue to gain experience at the collegiate level and at 8k. I expect our upperclassmen will lead them appropriately and we will execute a great race plan. If they continue carrying themselves like they have the last few weeks, we will be pleased with the result."
About LaVern Gibson Championship Course
The LaVern Gibson Championship course features a challenging, yet manageable, mix of uphill and downhill sections and a simple straightaway start that stretches for nearly the first kilometer before a turn. For spectators, the ability to see nearly the entire race from the right perch. The course has hosted the NCAA Division 1 National Championship 12 times, and will host the 2019 nationals on Nov. 23.
A Look At The Competition
46 teams are set to contest the John McNichols Invitational, including 10 nationally-ranked programs. The women's side includes four programs ranked in the USTFCCCA National Top-10, with No. 3 Washington, No. 4 Michigan, No. 5 Arkansas and No. 8 Stanford competing. No. 28 Indiana rounds out the nationally ranked oppenents in the women's 5K. The men's 8K field features No. 1 Northern Arizona, No. 5 Iowa State, No. 7 Stanford, No. 16 Indiana, and No. 24 Purdue.
Meet 2 Notes
Last Time Out
Illinois Women Cruise to First Place at Illini Open
Fighting Illini women's cross country was dominant in their first meet of the season on Aug. 30, with four athletes placing in the meet top-five and finishing with a team score of 19 to place first at the Illini Open. Junior Rebecca Craddock won the 5K title at the Illini Open, clocking a cross country PR of 16:58.1. Craddock's finish time was the eighth-fastest in Illini program history.
The Illini would claim the top-three spots at their lone home meet of the season. Freshman Emma Wilson was stellar in her collegiate debut, timing 17:06.2 to place second. 2018 All-Region runner Madison Marasco finished third on Friday, recording a finish time of 17:20.7.
Also securing a top-five overall finish was sophomore Emma Milburn, who set a new 5K cross country PR with finish time of 17:33.2. Rounding out the Illini scorers was 2018 All-Region honoree Allison McGrath, who timed 17:36.8 to place eighth overall. The Illini scored 34 lower than second-place Purdue, who finished with a score of 53.
Loud Takes 8K Title to Lead Illinois Men at Illini Open
Fighting Illini redshirt sophomore Irwin Loud won the men's 8K race at the Illini Open. Loud came on strong late to take the 8K meet title, and crossed the finish line first with in a time of 25:22.3. Illinois finished second at the home meet with a team score of 33.
Finishing in second right behind Loud was sophomore Logan Hall, who clocked a 25:26.1 finish time. The Illini also saw top-10 overall finishes from sophomore Colin Yandel and redshirt senior Zach Dale, who finished ninth and 10th, respectively. Yandel recorded a finish time of 25:33.4, and Dale came in right behind with a 25:37.6 finish. Rounding out the Illini scorers was freshman Jack Roberts, who timed 25:58.0 in his collegiate debut.
Craddock Garners Co-Big Ten Athlete Of The Week Honor
Fighting Illini women's cross country junior Rebecca Craddock was named the Co-Big Ten Women's Cross Country Athlete of the Week on Sept. 5. She shared the weekly honor with Michigan freshman Ericka VanderLende. This is the first Big Ten Athlete of the Week accolade for Craddock, and the first for Illinois women's cross country since Britten Petrey on October 28, 2015.
Craddock took first place at the Illini Open on August 30, clocking a personal-best finish time of 16:58.1. The meet-winning time recorded by Craddock is the eighth-fastest 5K finish in Illinois program history. Craddock helped lead the Illini to a first-place finish at the Illini Open, as the Illini recorded a score of 19 to defeat Purdue (53), Northwestern (67) and DePaul (188) at their season-opening meet.
Craddock, a native of Brunswick, Ohio studying Integrative Biology, is a two-time Academic All-Big Ten and USTFCCCA All-Academic honoree.
Illini In the Midwest Regional Rankings
The Illinois women's team holds the No. 4 spot in the USTFCCCA Week 1 Rankings for the Midwest Region. It is the highest ranking for the Illini women's program in the regional rankings since 2012. The Illinois men sit eighth in the weekly Midwest Region rankings.
Illini Set For Second Season Under Haveman
Head coach Sarah Haveman returns for her second season leading Fighting Illini cross country. In her first season as head coach, she led the women's cross country team to a fourth-place finish at the NCAA Midwest Regional, a 20 spot jump from the team's 24th place finish the year before and the best finish for the team at the regional since 2009. She coached three Illini to All-Region honors at the meet (Allison McGrath, Madison Marasco and Billy Magnesen).
Up Next
The Illini compete next week at the Buckeye Preview hosted by Ohio State. The men's 8K will start at 8 a.m. CT, and the women's 6K is slated for 8:45 a.m. CT.
For complete coverage of Fighting Illini Cross Country, visit FightingIllini.com, follow the Illini on Twitter (@IlliniTrackXC) and Instagram (illinitrackxc) and like Fighting Illini Track and Field & Cross Country on Facebook.
