October 29 , 2005
Cross Country
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

MEN’S TEAM TAKES TITLE; WOMEN FINISH FIFTH

EVANSVILLE, Ind. – The Indiana State men’s cross country team captured back-to-back Missouri Valley Conference Cross Country championships, with a dominating performance on Saturday (Oct. 29). The Sycamores placed four runners in the top nine, and seven runners finished within the top 18, as ISU earned a team score of 35 points. Drake came in second with 75 points.
   It marks the first time a school has placed four runners in the top ten, and the first time under head coach John McNichols that the Trees have won back-to-back MVC Championships. McNichols, who was named the 2005 MVC Coach of the Year was pleased his team was able to deliver after being the unanimous choice to win the event.    “I stressed to our guys on Friday that this was not a sure thing, and they went out there and worked the whole race. Our strategy was to run together for the first 4k and then at the end make a break.”
   Jordan Fife was the first Sycamore to cross the finish line, taking second place. He finished with a personal-best time of 24:19 in the 8k event. Sean Bowman took fourth place with a personal-best time of 24:28, while Blaine Zimmerman followed one spot behind with a mark of 24:36. Antonio McDaniel came across the finish line in ninth place with a personal-best time of 24:44. Justin Kunz (25:08) claimed 15th place.
   Fife, Bowman, Zimmerman, and McDaniel earned All-MVC honors for their performance. Both Fife and Bowman garnered all-conference honors last year as well. “The course was in great shape and allowed for some very fast times,” said McNichols. “It was an outstanding race by our guys today.”
   Southern Illinois, Missouri State, and Wichita State rounded out the top five. Bradley claimed sixth place, followed by Illinois State, Evansville, and Creighton.
   The ISU women’s team claimed 5th place in the 5k event. Laura Engle paced the Sycamores, finishing with a time of 17:14, which was good for fifth place, overall. Heather Stembridge came across the finish line in 17:39 to claim 13th place. Dani Prince ran a time of 17:53 to take 18th place. Freshman Julia Costello took 37th place with a time of 18:39, while Leah Durr followed behind in 38th place with a mark of 18:40.
   “Our top three runners ran extremely well today,” noted head coach John Gartland. “As has been the case all season, we were unable to get our fourth and fifth runners closer to the front.”
   Engle earned all-conference honors to become the 24th all-conference selection at Indiana State. She is the first female runner to earn All-MVC honors since Jessica Crowder in 2003.
   Wichita State captured the team title with a score of 37. Missouri State (74) finished in second place, followed by Southern Illinois (96). Northern Iowa came in fourth (100), while Illinois State (133) claimed sixth place. Drake (191), Creighton (210), and Evansville (241) rounded out the field.
   The Sycamores return to action on November 12 when they travel to Bloomington to take part in the 2005 Great Lakes Regional, hosted by Indiana University.

Men’s Results
1. Indiana State 35
2. Drake 75
3. Southern Illinois 104
4. Missouri State 118
5. Wichita State 133
6. Bradley 165
7. Northern Iowa 172
8. Illinois State 185
9. Evansville 215
10. Creighton 222

Women’s Results
1. Wichita State 37
2. Missouri State 74
3. Southern Illinois 96
4. Northern Iowa 100
5. Indiana State 110
6. Illinois State 133
7. Bradley 190
8. Drake 191
9. Creighton 210
10. Evansville 248