After focusing their training for this one meet, the Ball State University cross-country team is ready to prove a point.
The Mid-American Conference championships are set for 11 a.m. Saturday at Beaver Island State Park in Buffalo, NY following the culmination of two months of training. Consensus is that the Cardinal runners are focused for this race in particular.
Freshman runner and leader of the pack for the first half of the year Sarah Kehe said she feels the team is ready, although she is personally conflicted with emotions.
"I'm excited, anxious, nervous, you know, all that stuff," Kehe said. "We've been training all season basically focused on this one meet."
Kehe's efforts have been impressive for the Cardinals with high finishes in nearly all her races this season. Making a name for herself in the MAC, Kehe took second place at the Western Michigan University Bronco invitational and fifth place at the Bowling Green State University Falcon Invitational.
Ball State will also look toward the leadership of the elders of the team. Seniors Rose Lehe and Amanda Ponsot have returned from injuries and are both looking for strong performances Saturday.
With all the staff changes and injuries that have challenged the Cardinals this season the team has more than salvaged the season and is looking to make noise at the MAC championships. Ball State has been outdone by Akron and Western Michigan within the conference. However, the Cardinals have handled teams from Bowling Green, Eastern Michigan University, Kent State University, Miami University and Northern Illinois University.
Head coach Todd Lane is optimistic with the runners' injury problems behind them and expects a strong showing from the Cardinals in Buffalo.
"We're very healthy right now and definitely the healthiest this group has ever been at the same time," Lane said. "We've taken some steps forward and with things going our way, we'll be fine, because basically everyone's ready to go."
The Cardinals are looking to their strong front runners to lead the pack Saturday. Kehe's roomate and fellow freshman, Ali Bishel, is hoping for a strong performance. Bishel has been bothered by back problems in the past week but has been the Cardinals No. 2 runner in every race this season.
The way the pack has become is representative of how the team has become this season. With such a small team, Kehe says the runners rely on each other and have become quite close.
"It was really easy to become close this year because there is only eight of us," Kehe said. "It is the smallest team I have ever been on. We're really tight-knit."
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