Ball State cross country competed in its third meet of the season today. The Cardinals, scoring 175 points, finished 8th out of 16 at the Lakefront Invitational 6k hosted by Loyola.
Head coach Adrian Wheatley said he saw several personal records today from his team, including sophomore Carly Spletzer, the team’s top runner for the meet.
“We're moving in the right direction and… everything we're doing is getting us ready to be able to compete at the conference championship,” Wheatley said.
One month ahead of the Mid-American Conference (MAC) Championship, Wheatley said he and his team are focusing on improvement, not how the other competition is doing.
“We’re just continuing to believe in the process, competing for each other,” Wheatley said. “Just growth and understanding from one week to another, everything that we're doing builds upon itself.”
The Cardinals had two finishers within the top 25. Sophomore Carly Spletzer led the team, placing 18th with a time of 21:41.6. Closely behind Spletzer, junior Sarah Mahnensmith finished with a time of 21:46.4, taking 23rd place.
Juniors Shelby Christman and Jessica Velez took 45th and 58th place for the Cardinals.
Freshman Maci Hoskins placed 72nd. She was followed closely by junior Jenna Schifferer, who placed 75th.
Sophomore Ella Fullmer finished in 79th place, while Kendyl Thrasher took 81st.
Although he said he’s seen an abundance of improvement so far, Wheatley’s goal this season is to tighten the pack and prevent the thin spreading of his runners in their races.
“We’re focusing on the things that we can control. You know, that's our energy, effort, and being able to execute the plan that we have,” Wheatley said.
The Cardinals will be back to compete at the Bradley Pink Classic Oct. 13 in Peoria, Illinois.
Contact Lauren Graham at lauren.graham@bsu.edu.
