After being the face for the women's cross country team for the past two seasons, leading the team to its first-ever Mid-American Conference championship as a junior and making the NCAA Championships as a senior, Jill Scully will no longer be running cross country for Ball State University.
Scully was redshirted for track as a freshman but ran cross country that year, so she is ineligible to run on the cross country team this fall; however, she will practice with the team to prepare for her final track season this spring.
She was a team leader on and off the course, head coach Sue Parks said, and the cross country team will miss her this season. Parks expects it will take a total team effort to replace Scully's influence on the team, and junior Rose Lehe said losing Scully leaves a big hole.
"It's definitely a big loss because Jill was a huge contribution," Lehe said.
Scully led the team in its races last season, but in her absence, the team's strategy will be to run together as team.
"Without her, we will probably run in a pack this year," Lehe said.
Scully was the No. 1 runner for the Cardinals for the past two years. As a junior, she placed second at the MAC championships, and she repeated as runner-up in the conference meet as a senior. She made the All-MAC Team her freshman, junior and senior years and was named to the Academic All-MAC team last year.
Lehe, the team's No. 3 runner last season, looks to come back this year as the team's leader on the course, Parks said.
"She was a pretty solid No. 3 runner for us last year but probably didn't have the kind of season she hoped for, so I think she is ready to step it up," Parks said.
Lehe placed eighth, out of 32 runners, in the 5,000-meter run at the MAC outdoor track and field championships this spring. She was also Ball State's top runner in the 3,000-meter steeplechase, where she finished fifth in a field of 18 runners. Lehe placed sixteenth at the MAC cross country championships last fall.
Lehe's personal goals align with the team's goals of competing for the MAC championship.
"I want to improve on my placing in the MAC conference meet," Lehe said. "I think it will be a real good year, and we would love to win another MAC championship."
Parks said senior Nicole Hartford will step up to replace Scully's leadership position off the course this season. Hartford will be looked to by other runners for positive and critical advice.
"Hartford is the one senior, and I would say we will look to her for really strong leadership," Parks said. "She's kind of been in the role in the past, so she understands what it means to perform well for the team, especially when the chips are down."
Hartford can also perform well on the course. She had two standout meets last year, when she finished fourth at the Butler Open and seventh at the Indiana University Open.
"She has been a real strong performer for us over the years," Parks said. "She should be looking to have a really strong season."
Hartford's experience and leadership make Lehe excited to run with her.
"Nicole [Hartford] will be a real good leader," Lehe said. "I really look forward to running with her this year."
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