The Missouri State cross country team has been picked to finish second in this Saturday’s (Oct. 27) State Farm Missouri Valley Conference Championship, to be held at Pheasant Ridge Golf Course in Cedar Falls, Iowa. Two-time defending Valley champ Wichita State was the pre-race favorite, receiving seven of the 10 first-place votes in a poll of the league’s coaches.
The Bears garnered the remaining three first-place votes and totaled 88 points in the poll, while the Shockers tallied 97 points. Illinois State finished third in the poll with 83 points.
Led by senior Carrie Vestal, MSU has captured team titles at three meets in 2007. Vestal won her first two races of the season and owns the Valley’s fifth-best 5K time (17:57) overall. Senior Asher Kyger and juniors Jamie Vest and Kristin Wolkey have also been consistent performers for head coach Greg Hipp’s squad. Each has turned in 5K runs of 18:30 or better this season.
Missouri State will be seeking its sixth MVC cross country title and its fifth in the last seven seasons. The Bears, who were also picked second in the league’s pre-season poll, will have to unseat a Wichita State team that can claim three of the top 10 5K times in the Valley this season. Junior Kellyn Johnson owns the MVC’s top performances in both 5K (16:57) and 6K (20:44) races to lead the pack, while 2006 all-conference performers Chelsie Baldwin and Mica Land also return for the Shockers.
The State Farm MVC Championship gets under way at 10:30 a.m. with the men’s 8K, followed at 11:30 a.m. by the women’s 5K.
MVC Women’s Cross Country Pre-Championship Poll
# Team (1st place votes) - Total Points
- Wichita State (7) - 97
- Missouri State (3) - 88
- Illinois State - 83
- UNI - 66
- Southern Illinois - 64
- Drake - 47
- Indiana State - 42
- Bradley - 26
- Creighton - 23
- Evansville - 14
