Eastern Michigan Athletics
Women's Cross Country Season Recap
12/16/2016 12:41:00 PM | Women's XC
The Eagles had their best season to date in 2016
YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) - The Eastern Michigan University women's cross country team wrapped up an incredible season back in mid-November, qualifying to the NCAA Championships for the first time since 1996. The Green and White were strong throughout both the regular season and the postseason, including winning their second Mid-American Conference Championship in program history. Take a look back at 2016, and a brief recap of each of the team's 2016 races.
The season kicked off in Kalamazoo, as the Eagles participated in the George Dales Invitational, Sept. 2, against the Broncos. There, Eastern claimed the top-four spots, along with seven of the top-10. Additionally, the Eagles averaged a finish time of 17:42.10, which was more than a minute quicker than the Broncos' average of 18:59.09. The Eagles were paced by junior Jordann McDermitt (Davison, Mich. – Davison), who dominated the field, crossing the finish line in 16:57.27, which was nearly thirty seconds better than the second-place finisher. It also marked the first time that she posted a mark of less than 17 minutes, as her previous 5K best was 17:03. Just behind her in second, redshirt sophomore Natalie Cizmas (Clinton Twp., Mich. – Chippewa Valley) had a fantastic cross country debut, clocking in at 17:24.57, which was also nearly thirty seconds quicker than the next finisher. Rounding out the top three was 2015 MAC Champion senior Alsu Bogdanova (Kazan, Russia – Lyceum #83), who posted a time of 17:53.55 to claim the bronze. For her performance, McDermitt was named MAC Runner of the Week.
The following week, EMU stayed local, running in the Detroit Titan Invitational, Sept. 10, in Northville, Mich. EMU finished second as a team, amassing 57 points with a young lineup focused on gaining experience for later in the year. Individually, the Eagles had three harriers finish within the top-15, as sophomore Sydney Meyers (Zionsville, Ind. – Zionsville Community) ran to a second-place finish, clocking in at 18:07.0, which was 13 seconds quicker than her time from the George Dales Invite. Behind her, fellow junior Danielle Bentzley (Birmingham, Mich. – Seaholm) also had a solid race, placing sixth with a time of 18:42.0. Rounding out the top-three Green and White finishers was redshirt-sophomore Rebekah Branham (Circleville, Ohio – Circleville), who placed 14th after crossing the finish line in 18:59.0.
The team's first national-level meet came after the Titan Invite, as Eastern traveled to Nashville, Tenn. for the Commodore Classic, Sept. 17, marking the first time EMU has competed at the meet. The Eagles, who won the meet and finished with 68 points, were able to defeat a pair of ranked teams, as No. 19 Mississippi State and No. 26 Vanderbilt finished sixth and third, respectively. McDermitt led the Eagles once again, taking third with a time of 17:02.9, while Cizmas nabbed ninth in 17:17.4. Rounding out EMU's top-three was junior Jenna Wyns (Londerzeel, Belgium – Sportschol KA2), who took 14th after clocking in at 17:28.6. McDermitt, based on her performance, reeled in her second MAC Runner of the Week honor of the season.
The trend of success at tough meets continued two weeks later, as EMU took part in the prestigious Notre Dame Invitational, Sept. 30, in South Bend, Ind. Finishing third, the Eagles bested a number of ranked teams in the talented field, including defending NCAA Champions No. 2 New Mexico, who placed fourth with 166 points. The Green and White were also able to take down No. 16 Notre Dame and No. 24 Vanderbilt, who EMU beat in their previous meet. Finally, Eastern also upset No. 28 Utah, who took sixth. Once again, McDermitt was the team's top finisher, bringing home seventh with a time of 16:33.1. Behind her, Cizmas crossed the finish line in 12th, while Bogdanova and Meyers took 41st and 45th, respectively. The Davison, Mich. native once again was named MAC Runner of the Week, marking the third time she won the award thus far in the season.
Up next, the Green and White previewed the NCAA Championships course at the Pre-Nationals Invitational, Oct. 15, in Terre Haute, Ind, taking seventh as a team. The race featured a number of ranked teams, and the Eagles were able to once again down a ranked opponent. No. 22 Virginia fell to the Eagles, as the Cavaliers finished 18th overall. Additionally, Eastern also bested a number of teams receiving votes in the coaches' poll. Leading the charge for Eastern once again wasMcDermitt, who clocked in at 20:32.0 to finish 18th in a tough field. Her mark was also a personal-best 6,000-meter time by about 10 seconds. The consistency continued behind her, as Cizmas nabbed 32nd after crossing the finish line in 20:48.5. The trend continued yet again, as McDermitt secured MAC Runner of the Week honors for the fourth time.
The regular season came to a close the following weekend, with Eastern hosting the annual EMU Fall Classic, Oct. 21, in Dexter, Mich. Eastern had a total of seven harriers participate in the 5,000-meter race, with three bringing home spots in the top-50. At the finish line, Bentzley was the first Eagle to complete the race, posting a solid time of 18:31.2. Behind her, junior Claire Mesa (Rockford, Ill. - Rockford Lutheran) was the second EMU harrier to cross the finish line, as she placed 48th in 19:17.7 The Rockford, Ill. native narrowly beat out fellow junior Lauren Pottschmidt (Granger, Ind. - Penn), as the Granger, Ind. product took 49th with a time of 19:20.9. Bentzley was also named MAC Runner of the Week following the meet.
After winning their first ever MAC Championship last season, the Eagles looked to make it two in a row this year at the conference championships, Oct. 29. EMU definitely kicked off the postseason with a bang, as the team brought home its second consecutive conference title behind a deep lineup that featured four Eagles finishing within the top-10. The Eagles became the first program to win league titles in back-to-back years since Toledo won three straight from 2010-12.
McDermitt ended up running away with the individual crown, crossing the finish line with a time of 20:34.1, which was just shy of her career-best. The victory also marked the third straight season in which an Eagle harrier has finished atop the podium. Last year's champion, Bogdanova, had a strong race as well, bringing home bronze with a time of 20:59.3. Just behind Bogdanova, Cizmas turned in a fourth-place finish in her first ever MAC Championships, clocking in at 21:10.5. Meyers closed out an impressive race, bringing home seventh-place with a time of 21:11.7, beating her previous career-best by 11 seconds. Rounding out the top-five for EMU was senior Sofie Gallein (Gits, Belgium - University of Leuven), who ended up taking 12th in 21:43.7. Redshirt junior Anna Aldrich (Fremont, Ind. – Fremont) also had a strong race, clocking in at 21:50.5, which was a career-best by eight seconds, to nab 14th-place.
At the conclusion of the race, McDermitt, Bogdanova, Cizmas, and Meyers were all named First Team All-MAC. Additionally, Gallein and Aldrich brought home Second Team All-MAC honors. Head Coach Sue Parks also reeled in league honors, claiming her second MAC Coach of the Year honor as an Eagle, and her third overall.
Two weeks later, the Green and White had their strongest regional performance in recent history at the NCAA Great Lakes Regional, Nov. 11, in Madison, Wis. The Eagles finished the close race in fifth with 102 points, which was an improvement over last year by nearly 100 points, while the team also had three harriers finish within the top-20. As a team, the Eagles held strong with a number of tough teams throughout the entire race. In fact, the spread between second-place Notre Dame and fifth-place Eastern Michigan was just 11 points, with Michigan State and Wisconsin tying for third with 97 points. EMU's performance marked a big improvement over last year, as the squad took sixth with 216 points in 2015.
McDermitt ultimately crossed the finish line in fifth, clocking in at 19:59.5, which shattered her previous personal-best 6K time of 20:32.0. Cizmas was also able to secure a top-15 finish, closing out strong and nabbing 14th in 20:23.8, which was also a career-best by roughly 25 seconds. Bogdanova had a career day as well, as she secured 18th after crossing the finish line in 20:30.2, her best 6K time by nine seconds. Meyers, who finished 25th, had a personal-best time as well, as she clocked in at 20:39.9 to beat her previous best by 32 seconds.
Based on their top-25 finishes, McDermitt, Cizmas, Bogdanova, and Meyers were also awarded all-region honors. This marks the second straight year in which McDermitt and Bogdanova received the award, while it was the first for Cizmas and Meyers.
After a bit of waiting, the squad learned that they were selected as an at-large team for the NCAA Championships, Nov. 19, in Terre Haute Ind. Although the Eagles had a number of individual qualifiers prior to this year, this marked just the second time in program history that the team will compete in the national championships. The only other season that the team qualified was in 1996, when the Green and White finished 22nd.
The Eagles were able to finish ninth at the national championships as a team with a total of 316 points, marking EMU's best finish in program history. The Eagles came into the race ranked No. 24, and certainly outperformed that figure by a wide margin. As they had done all year, the Green and White moved their way up the standings as the race progressed, propelling them from the middle-of-the-pack team wise into the top-10. Despite tough weather conditions, EMU capped its historic season with another fantastic performance. In fact, the ninth-place finish was the best by a Mid-American Conference team in conference history.
McDermitt finished the tough race in 24th with a time of 20:14.6, and based on her top-40 finish, the Davison, Mich. native earned All-American honors, becoming just the second Eagle to accomplish the feat in program history, and the first since 1987. Behind McDermitt, Cizmas used a strong, late kick to run to 70th-place with a time of 20:41.1. Bogdanova moved up late in the race as well, clocking in at 20:44.5 to take 81st. Meyers did the same, narrowly missing a top-100 finish after taking 102nd with a time of 20:51.0.
The Eagles, after their strongest season to date, look primed to have another great year in 2017. The team returns a number of excellent harriers, and with the experience gained throughout 2016, EMU will look to build on this year's success.
The season kicked off in Kalamazoo, as the Eagles participated in the George Dales Invitational, Sept. 2, against the Broncos. There, Eastern claimed the top-four spots, along with seven of the top-10. Additionally, the Eagles averaged a finish time of 17:42.10, which was more than a minute quicker than the Broncos' average of 18:59.09. The Eagles were paced by junior Jordann McDermitt (Davison, Mich. – Davison), who dominated the field, crossing the finish line in 16:57.27, which was nearly thirty seconds better than the second-place finisher. It also marked the first time that she posted a mark of less than 17 minutes, as her previous 5K best was 17:03. Just behind her in second, redshirt sophomore Natalie Cizmas (Clinton Twp., Mich. – Chippewa Valley) had a fantastic cross country debut, clocking in at 17:24.57, which was also nearly thirty seconds quicker than the next finisher. Rounding out the top three was 2015 MAC Champion senior Alsu Bogdanova (Kazan, Russia – Lyceum #83), who posted a time of 17:53.55 to claim the bronze. For her performance, McDermitt was named MAC Runner of the Week.
The following week, EMU stayed local, running in the Detroit Titan Invitational, Sept. 10, in Northville, Mich. EMU finished second as a team, amassing 57 points with a young lineup focused on gaining experience for later in the year. Individually, the Eagles had three harriers finish within the top-15, as sophomore Sydney Meyers (Zionsville, Ind. – Zionsville Community) ran to a second-place finish, clocking in at 18:07.0, which was 13 seconds quicker than her time from the George Dales Invite. Behind her, fellow junior Danielle Bentzley (Birmingham, Mich. – Seaholm) also had a solid race, placing sixth with a time of 18:42.0. Rounding out the top-three Green and White finishers was redshirt-sophomore Rebekah Branham (Circleville, Ohio – Circleville), who placed 14th after crossing the finish line in 18:59.0.
The team's first national-level meet came after the Titan Invite, as Eastern traveled to Nashville, Tenn. for the Commodore Classic, Sept. 17, marking the first time EMU has competed at the meet. The Eagles, who won the meet and finished with 68 points, were able to defeat a pair of ranked teams, as No. 19 Mississippi State and No. 26 Vanderbilt finished sixth and third, respectively. McDermitt led the Eagles once again, taking third with a time of 17:02.9, while Cizmas nabbed ninth in 17:17.4. Rounding out EMU's top-three was junior Jenna Wyns (Londerzeel, Belgium – Sportschol KA2), who took 14th after clocking in at 17:28.6. McDermitt, based on her performance, reeled in her second MAC Runner of the Week honor of the season.
The trend of success at tough meets continued two weeks later, as EMU took part in the prestigious Notre Dame Invitational, Sept. 30, in South Bend, Ind. Finishing third, the Eagles bested a number of ranked teams in the talented field, including defending NCAA Champions No. 2 New Mexico, who placed fourth with 166 points. The Green and White were also able to take down No. 16 Notre Dame and No. 24 Vanderbilt, who EMU beat in their previous meet. Finally, Eastern also upset No. 28 Utah, who took sixth. Once again, McDermitt was the team's top finisher, bringing home seventh with a time of 16:33.1. Behind her, Cizmas crossed the finish line in 12th, while Bogdanova and Meyers took 41st and 45th, respectively. The Davison, Mich. native once again was named MAC Runner of the Week, marking the third time she won the award thus far in the season.
Up next, the Green and White previewed the NCAA Championships course at the Pre-Nationals Invitational, Oct. 15, in Terre Haute, Ind, taking seventh as a team. The race featured a number of ranked teams, and the Eagles were able to once again down a ranked opponent. No. 22 Virginia fell to the Eagles, as the Cavaliers finished 18th overall. Additionally, Eastern also bested a number of teams receiving votes in the coaches' poll. Leading the charge for Eastern once again wasMcDermitt, who clocked in at 20:32.0 to finish 18th in a tough field. Her mark was also a personal-best 6,000-meter time by about 10 seconds. The consistency continued behind her, as Cizmas nabbed 32nd after crossing the finish line in 20:48.5. The trend continued yet again, as McDermitt secured MAC Runner of the Week honors for the fourth time.
The regular season came to a close the following weekend, with Eastern hosting the annual EMU Fall Classic, Oct. 21, in Dexter, Mich. Eastern had a total of seven harriers participate in the 5,000-meter race, with three bringing home spots in the top-50. At the finish line, Bentzley was the first Eagle to complete the race, posting a solid time of 18:31.2. Behind her, junior Claire Mesa (Rockford, Ill. - Rockford Lutheran) was the second EMU harrier to cross the finish line, as she placed 48th in 19:17.7 The Rockford, Ill. native narrowly beat out fellow junior Lauren Pottschmidt (Granger, Ind. - Penn), as the Granger, Ind. product took 49th with a time of 19:20.9. Bentzley was also named MAC Runner of the Week following the meet.
After winning their first ever MAC Championship last season, the Eagles looked to make it two in a row this year at the conference championships, Oct. 29. EMU definitely kicked off the postseason with a bang, as the team brought home its second consecutive conference title behind a deep lineup that featured four Eagles finishing within the top-10. The Eagles became the first program to win league titles in back-to-back years since Toledo won three straight from 2010-12.
McDermitt ended up running away with the individual crown, crossing the finish line with a time of 20:34.1, which was just shy of her career-best. The victory also marked the third straight season in which an Eagle harrier has finished atop the podium. Last year's champion, Bogdanova, had a strong race as well, bringing home bronze with a time of 20:59.3. Just behind Bogdanova, Cizmas turned in a fourth-place finish in her first ever MAC Championships, clocking in at 21:10.5. Meyers closed out an impressive race, bringing home seventh-place with a time of 21:11.7, beating her previous career-best by 11 seconds. Rounding out the top-five for EMU was senior Sofie Gallein (Gits, Belgium - University of Leuven), who ended up taking 12th in 21:43.7. Redshirt junior Anna Aldrich (Fremont, Ind. – Fremont) also had a strong race, clocking in at 21:50.5, which was a career-best by eight seconds, to nab 14th-place.
At the conclusion of the race, McDermitt, Bogdanova, Cizmas, and Meyers were all named First Team All-MAC. Additionally, Gallein and Aldrich brought home Second Team All-MAC honors. Head Coach Sue Parks also reeled in league honors, claiming her second MAC Coach of the Year honor as an Eagle, and her third overall.
Two weeks later, the Green and White had their strongest regional performance in recent history at the NCAA Great Lakes Regional, Nov. 11, in Madison, Wis. The Eagles finished the close race in fifth with 102 points, which was an improvement over last year by nearly 100 points, while the team also had three harriers finish within the top-20. As a team, the Eagles held strong with a number of tough teams throughout the entire race. In fact, the spread between second-place Notre Dame and fifth-place Eastern Michigan was just 11 points, with Michigan State and Wisconsin tying for third with 97 points. EMU's performance marked a big improvement over last year, as the squad took sixth with 216 points in 2015.
McDermitt ultimately crossed the finish line in fifth, clocking in at 19:59.5, which shattered her previous personal-best 6K time of 20:32.0. Cizmas was also able to secure a top-15 finish, closing out strong and nabbing 14th in 20:23.8, which was also a career-best by roughly 25 seconds. Bogdanova had a career day as well, as she secured 18th after crossing the finish line in 20:30.2, her best 6K time by nine seconds. Meyers, who finished 25th, had a personal-best time as well, as she clocked in at 20:39.9 to beat her previous best by 32 seconds.
Based on their top-25 finishes, McDermitt, Cizmas, Bogdanova, and Meyers were also awarded all-region honors. This marks the second straight year in which McDermitt and Bogdanova received the award, while it was the first for Cizmas and Meyers.
After a bit of waiting, the squad learned that they were selected as an at-large team for the NCAA Championships, Nov. 19, in Terre Haute Ind. Although the Eagles had a number of individual qualifiers prior to this year, this marked just the second time in program history that the team will compete in the national championships. The only other season that the team qualified was in 1996, when the Green and White finished 22nd.
The Eagles were able to finish ninth at the national championships as a team with a total of 316 points, marking EMU's best finish in program history. The Eagles came into the race ranked No. 24, and certainly outperformed that figure by a wide margin. As they had done all year, the Green and White moved their way up the standings as the race progressed, propelling them from the middle-of-the-pack team wise into the top-10. Despite tough weather conditions, EMU capped its historic season with another fantastic performance. In fact, the ninth-place finish was the best by a Mid-American Conference team in conference history.
McDermitt finished the tough race in 24th with a time of 20:14.6, and based on her top-40 finish, the Davison, Mich. native earned All-American honors, becoming just the second Eagle to accomplish the feat in program history, and the first since 1987. Behind McDermitt, Cizmas used a strong, late kick to run to 70th-place with a time of 20:41.1. Bogdanova moved up late in the race as well, clocking in at 20:44.5 to take 81st. Meyers did the same, narrowly missing a top-100 finish after taking 102nd with a time of 20:51.0.
The Eagles, after their strongest season to date, look primed to have another great year in 2017. The team returns a number of excellent harriers, and with the experience gained throughout 2016, EMU will look to build on this year's success.
Players Mentioned
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