Nov. 8, 2007
Columbia, Mo. - Making its way back to Newman Golf Course in Peoria, Ill., the 2007 Tiger Cross Country team will participate in the NCAA Cross Country Midwest Regional, hosted by Bradley University. The Tigers enter the race ranked seventh in the region on the men's side, while the women come in ranked 11th. The men's 10K race will begin at 11 a.m., with the women's 6K following at 12:15 p.m.
Both the Tiger men and women already have a successful showing under their belts at Newman Golf Course this season. Back on Oct. 12, the Tigers swept both the men's and women's competition at the Bradley Classic, giving Mizzou its first ever title at Bradley. The Tiger men were led by sophomore Dan Hedgecock (St. Louis, Mo.) who won the overall title on the men's side while setting a personal best time of 24:35 in the 8K race. Along with Hedgecock, Tim Cornell (Columbia, Mo.), Garret Jeffries (Clarkson Valley, Mo.), Billy Bell (Chesterfield, Mo.) and Phillip King (Columbia, Mo.) all notched top-10 finishes, while Cornell, Bell and King all tallied personal records.
The Tigers will expect big things from its core group of runners this weekend, including Hedgecock, Jeffries, Bell and Cornell. Bell is the only senior on the Tiger men's roster and will look to continue his breakout season in what could be his last race with Mizzou.
The women were equally as impressive at the Bradley Classic last month. Led by freshman Kinsey Farren (Dallas, Texas), the Tiger women also ran their way to a team title. Farren finished sixth overall as she ran a personal record of 21:22. The Tigers ran as a pack in the women's race as the four Tigers finished from spots eight through 14. Senior Kate Greer (Marshalltown, Iowa) finished in eighth. Angela Potrykus (Evergreen, Colo.), Kasey Kimball (Eureka, Mo.) and Emily Baker (Wildwood, Mo.) rounded out the top-five Tiger finishers for the women.
The Tigers will look to these runners once again at Regionals, as well as senior Carolyn Rauen (Cincinnati, Ohio) who looks to have a big performance in possibly her last race as a Tiger. Rauen has set a personal record in two of her last three races a Newman Golf Course, and will look to make it three-for-four this weekend.
The Midwest Region in highlighted by Big 12 Conference for Oklahoma State on the men's side, while Minnesota, an opponent of the Tigers at the Roy Griak Classic, comes in ranked second in the region. Tulsa, Iowa State and Illinois round out the top-five teams in the region. Southern Illinois comes in ranked one spot ahead of the Tigers in sixth. The men are coming off of a sixth place finish at the Big 12 Championships and will look to carry that momentum into the regional.
Minnesota is the first of three Big 10 Conference teams atop the women's Midwest region. Illinois and Iowa come in ranked second and third respectively. The Tiger women, despite a 10th- pace finish, ran a quality race at the Big 12 Championships as the team finished just 37 team points behind the fourth place team Baylor, proving the parody that is present in the Big 12 Conference. The Tigers look to rebound at regionals, at a course that has been very friendly to Tiger runners in the past.