When teams get together to battle for state bragging rights, it's always fun. It should be no different Friday when the Ball State men's and women's cross country teams travel to Terre Haute for the 65th running of the Indiana Intercollegiate races.
Competition Friday will be some of the toughest the men's team has faced so far: Indiana and Butler. Indiana was ranked 17th in the preseason poll, and Butler was ranked 22nd.
Purdue and Indiana State will also provide a tough challenge.
"Friday's a real good opportunity for us," Johnson said. "We're real excited for that."
The men's team is coming off of a 3rd-place finish at the Miami Invitational, where three freshmen placed in the top fifteen, and the intercollegiate races will continue to give the team experience.
"It's always fun for them to compete at this meet," Student Assistant Michael Johnson said. "It's bragging rights for the state."
This will be the last tune-up meet for the team for the next two weeks. After the rest, the team will attend the Notre Dame Invitational, where they will see how they stand against national competition.
The team is striving to be at its best by the time the MAC Championships take place on Nov. 1. While the team goal is obvious -- to be No. 1 -- each individual has his own goals to help him reach that point.
"If each individual meets their goal, team goals will be met," Johnson said.
Like the men, the women's team is coming off a 3rd-place finish at the Miami Invitational, in which top-runners Crystal Meeks and Jill Scully finished within the top ten. They will continue to try to close the gap between the fourth and fifth runners tomorrow at the intercollegiates.
Meanwhile, the team continues to prepare for the climax of its season: the MAC Championships.
"Every meet is a stepping stone towards that," head coach Sue Parks said. "Really, the name of the game is to keep improving every week."
Junior Linda Stebbins is still battling a back injury and will not compete Friday. She hasn't competed this season, but she should be able to run in the Central Collegiate next week. The team has no other injuries.
The team will not face as strong as an opponent as they did last week with the University of Michigan. They will, however, face tough teams from Indiana and Purdue. In the preseason poll, Indiana was ranked 18th.
"We're ready to make a run at them," Parks said. "Always a great motive, going against schools like Indiana and Purdue, and seeing how we compare.
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