COLUMBIA, Mo. - The Mizzou cross country program is set to open the 2014 campaign this week as they travel to Champaign, Ill., on Friday (Aug. 29) for the Illlini Challenge. The meet will serve as a dual between the two Midwest Region programs on the Fighting Illini's home course at the Arboretum. The women's 5000-meter run will kick off the evening at 6:30 p.m., followed by the men's 6000-meter run at 7 p.m.
This will be the first time that the Tigers will take to the line under new Head Coach Marc Burns, who took the helm on July 11th. Burns arrived in Columbia with 18 years of experience as a Division I head coach, most recently at Bradley University in Peoria, Ill., and is looking forward to this weekend as being his first gauge on how the teams will work together come race day.
"The early-season meets are set up to just kind of get things rolling. We're trying to be pretty low-key through most of the month of September," Burns said. "We're focusing on running a conservative, team-oriented race this weekend; trying to get them used to running in a pack and staying together for an extended period of time during the race."
This won't be the only time the Tigers face off against Illinois, as the pair of programs will also take to the course together for the NCAA Midwest Regional in Peoria, Ill., on Nov. 14th. The Mizzou men currently sit behind the Fighting Illini in the pre-season regional rankings, released earlier this week, at No. 7 while the Tiger women were put ahead by three spots with the No. 5 position.
The youthfulness that both teams have been known for over the past two years has now given way to reveal the leadership and experience of the Tigers' veterans. On the men's side, Sam Dickerson returns as the sole senior on the squad after an exciting year, which highlighted an All-SEC Second Team finish in cross country, and a qualification to the NCAA Championships West Preliminary Round in the 3000-meter Steeplechase during the outdoor track & field season.
Joining Dickerson on the line will be junior Tyler Schneider, who has been a consistent scorer for the Tigers since his arrival in 2012 and had his first NCAA Championships West Preliminary Round qualification last year in the 5000-meter run.
On the women's side, sophomore Kaitlyn Fischer, the 2013 SEC Cross Country Freshman of the Year, will spike up for the Tigers for the first time since her Missouri School Record performance at the NCAA Outdoor Championships, where she placed ninth in the 10,000-meter run with a PR of 33:12.37.
Seniors Courtney Wood and Courtney Brown will join Fischer in uniform on Friday as they begin their final season in the black and gold. Wood is coming off an exciting outdoor track season, which culminated in the No. 2 time in Mizzou history for the 3000-meter Steeplechase (10:21.32) and her first qualification for the NCAA Championships West Preliminary Round.
Both teams will also feature a squad of freshmen, who will make their cross country debut in the black and gold. On the men's side, seven redshirt freshmen will suit up for the first time on the cross country course, including: Marc Dubrick, Ben Goodman, Brian Hernan, Sheldon Keence, Billy Leighton, Chris Mooneyham, and Alex Pierce.
Joining the Tiger women will be three true freshmen in Jamie Kempfer, Karissa Schweizer, and Madison Waymire, along with redshirt freshman Becca Batliner.
THE TIGERS' STARTING LINE
| Women Kaelyn Balch, SO Becca Batliner, FR Courtney Brown, SR Kaitlyn Fischer, SO Kayla Friesen, SO Sam Garrett, JR Jamie Kempfer, FR Libby Luciani, SO Nicole Mello, SO Karissa Schweizer, FR Madison Waymire, FR Kayla Wolf, SO Brooke Wolfe, SO Courtney Wood, SR |
Men Jordan Cook, SO Will Crocker, SO Kenny Cushing, JR Sam Dickerson, SR Marc Dubrick, FR Chandler Dye, SO Ben Goodman, FR Shannon Hall, SO Brian Hernan, FR Grant Inskeep, SO Tim Johnson, SO Sheldon Keence, FR Billy Leighton, FR Joe McKenna, SO Chris Mooneyham, FR Alex Pierce, FR Tyler Rusboldt, SO Tyler Schneider, JR |