The new season gets underway tonight for the Illinois Cross Country Club in Charleston, Ill. for the EIU Walt Crawford Open. Several freshmen will make their collegiate running debut while some grad students will make their return to the cross country course. It’ll be a hot one in Charleston, but it’s a great place for IXC to start the season.
Last year, both the men’s and women’s team ran to third-place finishes against Division I-III competition despite suffocating heat. Three of the men’s top-7 from last year return to the “Panther Trail,” including Eric De Guevara and Jack Morrissey. Head coach Steven Krauklis said to keep an eye on Morrissey, as he could be poised for a strong race and a breakout season. Morrissey has finished in the team’s top-7 in both of his previous trips to EIU, so he knows how to handle the heat, even with a luscious beard. It was also at this meet last year when a young Michael Frintner made a name for himself by finishing as the team’s third runner.
Friday night will mark the debut of several promising freshmen prospects that will have a chance to shine. Willy Wolf will join his brother, grad student Henry Wolf, in the Illini pack. West Suburban Silver trio Josh Feldman, Nick Tandle, and Jordan Vear will toe the line for the first time with the Illini. While the freshmen will experience their first college race, Brad Coyle will hit the course in an Illini singlet for the first time. After an impressive track season, where he PR’d nearly every race, the grad student looks to be near the front of the Illini pack on Friday and throughout the season.
Last year at this meet, freshman Erin McKee made an early-season statement, finishing as the women’s No. 1 runner. Now a sophomore, Erin should once again help lead the charge for the Illini. Current social coordinator Emily Foley also had a strong debut at EIU last year as the team’s seventh finisher. Freshmen ladies made a lot of noise at this meet last year, so there’s plenty of potential for any of the several newcomers to have a big premiere with the club.
The trip to Charleston is also the start of stalwart women’s captain Megan Mocogni final cross country season with the team. After a string of strong workouts, she’s ready to start the season with a bang. The women also have a new grad student joining the ranks, except it’s a very familiar face in Beth McGreal. Beth was the team’s top finisher at Nationals in 2013, her senior year, and now she’s back and ready to tear it up once again in her return to IXC.
The Panther Trail course is flat and favorable, but the heat consistently makes this meet a challenge. It’s a good introduction to collegiate cross country for newcomers, who will try to run strategically in the heat. The women start at 4:45 and the men go off at 5:30 to start another exciting season of IXC.”,2015-09-04 11:22:39+00,XC
