Eastern Michigan Athletics
Cizmas, Knoll, and Smith Named 2019 Cross Country Co-Captains
8/5/2019 9:50:00 AM | Women's XC
Cizmas will be serving as a cross country co-captain for the third straight year
YPSILANTI, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) — Eastern Michigan University Head Women's Cross Country Coach Sue Parks announced redshirt seniors Natalie Cizmas (Clinton Twp., Mich.-Chippewa Valley), Allie Knoll (Warren, Mich.-Warren Mott), and Emily Smith (Somerset, England-Wells Cathedral School) were named cross country co-captains for the 2019 season Monday, August 5. The trio leads the Eagles' squad on its charge to earn a fifth consecutive Mid-American Conference title.
"These three seniors will be great leaders for our team," Parks acknowledged. "Natalie and Allie have experienced both adversity and success during their time at Eastern. They are great examples of hard work and perseverance. Emily has only been with us for one year but her work ethic and positive attitude have had a strong impact on the distance group. All three will be great mentors to their teammates as we strive to reach our goals this fall."
Cizmas enters her third season acting as the team's co-captain. She comes off a 2018 campaign that saw her capture the MAC Individual Championship while also garnering All-Great Lakes Region and First Team All-MAC honors. She was one of two Eagles to compete at the NCAA Division I Championship race, placing 74th with a time of 20:56.00.
Knoll earns her first nod to lead the Eagles, showing tremendous strength in the face of adversity during the 2018-19 school year. She came back better than ever from an injury-plagued 2018 cross country and 2018-19 indoor track and field seasons, registering her best-ever conference championship effort with an eighth-place finish in the 5000m at the 2019 MAC Outdoor Tack and Field Championships.
Smith also acts as a team captain for the first time after making a huge impact for the Eagles in 2018. In her first year donning the Green and White, she earned a 13th-place finish at the Mid-American Conference Championships, the third-best finish by an Eagle behind only Cizmas and former student-athlete Sydney Meyers.
To keep up-to-date with all things EMU Women's Cross Country, follow the team on twitter @EMUWXC_TF or visit the team's webpage on EMUEagles.com.
"These three seniors will be great leaders for our team," Parks acknowledged. "Natalie and Allie have experienced both adversity and success during their time at Eastern. They are great examples of hard work and perseverance. Emily has only been with us for one year but her work ethic and positive attitude have had a strong impact on the distance group. All three will be great mentors to their teammates as we strive to reach our goals this fall."
Cizmas enters her third season acting as the team's co-captain. She comes off a 2018 campaign that saw her capture the MAC Individual Championship while also garnering All-Great Lakes Region and First Team All-MAC honors. She was one of two Eagles to compete at the NCAA Division I Championship race, placing 74th with a time of 20:56.00.
Knoll earns her first nod to lead the Eagles, showing tremendous strength in the face of adversity during the 2018-19 school year. She came back better than ever from an injury-plagued 2018 cross country and 2018-19 indoor track and field seasons, registering her best-ever conference championship effort with an eighth-place finish in the 5000m at the 2019 MAC Outdoor Tack and Field Championships.
Smith also acts as a team captain for the first time after making a huge impact for the Eagles in 2018. In her first year donning the Green and White, she earned a 13th-place finish at the Mid-American Conference Championships, the third-best finish by an Eagle behind only Cizmas and former student-athlete Sydney Meyers.
To keep up-to-date with all things EMU Women's Cross Country, follow the team on twitter @EMUWXC_TF or visit the team's webpage on EMUEagles.com.
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