Eastern Michigan Athletics
Friday, November 10
Terre Haute, Ind.
11:15 a.m.
Eastern Michigan University
at
NCAA Great Lakes Regional
Women's Cross Country Gears up for NCAA Regionals
11/7/2017 9:55:00 AM | Women's XC
Last year's performance saw the Eagles take fifth place with a team score of 102 points
YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) – With the Mid-American Conference Championship in the rearview mirror, the Eastern Michigan University women's cross country team has its sights set on the NCAA Great Lakes Regional Championship, which will be held Friday, Nov. 10, in Terre Haute, Ind. The Green and White will look to build on its impressive performance from last year's competition, where the Eagles finished fifth with 102 points and earned an at-large bid for the NCAA National Championship as a team.
The 2016 event saw four EMU harriers earn all-region honors by cracking the top-25, all of which return for this year's competition. Senior Jordann McDermitt (Davison, Mich.-Davison) led the Eagles in last year's meet with a fifth-place finish, crossing in 19:59.5. Redshirt junior Natalie Cizmas (Clinton Twp., Mich-Chippewa Valley) also put together a strong performance, finishing 14th in 20:23.8. Redshirt senior Alsu Bogdanova (Kazan, Russia-Lyceum #83) and junior Sydney Meyers (Zionsville, Ind.-Zionsville Community) rounded out the EMU finishers within the top-25, claiming 18th and 25th, respectively. Additionally, senior Jenna Wyns (Londerzeel, Belgium-Sportschool KA2) and redshirt senior Anna Aldrich (Fremont, Ind.-Fremont) also raced in 2016's meet, placing 95th and 97th, respectively.
All six of the aforementioned student-athletes are just two weeks removed from winning the program's third consecutive MAC Championship. Bogdanova paced the Eagles with a second-place finish, earning the third First Team All-MAC honors of her career. McDermitt, the individual MAC Champion in 2016, followed close behind, crossing fourth in 20:57.0 to garner First Team All-MAC honors for the third straight year. Cizmas and Meyers were also pivotal in the Green and White's championship performance, as they took ninth and 11th-place, respectively, to take home Second Team All-MAC honors. Redshirt senior Aldrich rounded out EMU's top-five runners, placing 19th in 21:36.3.
Three teams from last week's conference competition rank within the region's top-15 in the form of No. 7 Toledo, No. 8 Miami, and No. 15 Central Michigan, the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) announced, Oct. 30. However, Eastern presently holds the highest rank of any MAC school, sitting fifth behind No. 1 Michigan, No. 2 Wisconsin, No. 3 Michigan State, No. 4 and Ohio State.
Of the 34 total teams that will be in attendance Saturday, Michigan, Wisconsin, Michigan State, and Ohio State all rank inside the nation's top-30 in the most recent coaches' poll released by the USTFCCCA, Oct. 31. Michigan is the highest ranked program, currently ranked at seventh after winning the Big Ten Conference Championship. Wisconsin, Michigan State, and Ohio State also turned in strong performances during the conference title race, as they rank 17th, 21st, and 25th, respectively. EMU rounds out the regional programs inside the top-30, as Eastern currently sits two spots behind Ohio State at 27th.
The race will be held at the LaVern Gibson Championship Cross Country Course in Terre Haute, Ind. The women are scheduled to begin their 6,000-meter race at 11:15 a.m., while the men are slated to begin their 10,000-meter at 12:15 p.m.
The 2016 event saw four EMU harriers earn all-region honors by cracking the top-25, all of which return for this year's competition. Senior Jordann McDermitt (Davison, Mich.-Davison) led the Eagles in last year's meet with a fifth-place finish, crossing in 19:59.5. Redshirt junior Natalie Cizmas (Clinton Twp., Mich-Chippewa Valley) also put together a strong performance, finishing 14th in 20:23.8. Redshirt senior Alsu Bogdanova (Kazan, Russia-Lyceum #83) and junior Sydney Meyers (Zionsville, Ind.-Zionsville Community) rounded out the EMU finishers within the top-25, claiming 18th and 25th, respectively. Additionally, senior Jenna Wyns (Londerzeel, Belgium-Sportschool KA2) and redshirt senior Anna Aldrich (Fremont, Ind.-Fremont) also raced in 2016's meet, placing 95th and 97th, respectively.
All six of the aforementioned student-athletes are just two weeks removed from winning the program's third consecutive MAC Championship. Bogdanova paced the Eagles with a second-place finish, earning the third First Team All-MAC honors of her career. McDermitt, the individual MAC Champion in 2016, followed close behind, crossing fourth in 20:57.0 to garner First Team All-MAC honors for the third straight year. Cizmas and Meyers were also pivotal in the Green and White's championship performance, as they took ninth and 11th-place, respectively, to take home Second Team All-MAC honors. Redshirt senior Aldrich rounded out EMU's top-five runners, placing 19th in 21:36.3.
Three teams from last week's conference competition rank within the region's top-15 in the form of No. 7 Toledo, No. 8 Miami, and No. 15 Central Michigan, the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) announced, Oct. 30. However, Eastern presently holds the highest rank of any MAC school, sitting fifth behind No. 1 Michigan, No. 2 Wisconsin, No. 3 Michigan State, No. 4 and Ohio State.
Of the 34 total teams that will be in attendance Saturday, Michigan, Wisconsin, Michigan State, and Ohio State all rank inside the nation's top-30 in the most recent coaches' poll released by the USTFCCCA, Oct. 31. Michigan is the highest ranked program, currently ranked at seventh after winning the Big Ten Conference Championship. Wisconsin, Michigan State, and Ohio State also turned in strong performances during the conference title race, as they rank 17th, 21st, and 25th, respectively. EMU rounds out the regional programs inside the top-30, as Eastern currently sits two spots behind Ohio State at 27th.
The race will be held at the LaVern Gibson Championship Cross Country Course in Terre Haute, Ind. The women are scheduled to begin their 6,000-meter race at 11:15 a.m., while the men are slated to begin their 10,000-meter at 12:15 p.m.
Players Mentioned
/ Women's XC
/ Women's XC
/ Women's XC
/ Women's XC
/ Women's XC
/ Women's XC
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