Oct. 29, 2015
Coach Fife Interview | Senior Spotlights | MVC Best List | Championship Central
SPRINGFIELD - The Missouri State cross country team heads to Evansville, Ind. this Saturday to compete in the 2015 MVC Cross Country Championship at 11:30 a.m. The Bears were picked ninth in the pre-championship coaches' poll ahead of meet host Evansville.
The Bears are led by head coach Jordan Fife, who is wrapping up his second season at MSU. Fife is looking forward to the championship this weekend.
"We are in a lot better situation going into this year's meet," said Fife. "The improvements we have made this year compared to last year, I'm not even sure I saw this coming as far as how far we have come."
Leading the Bears this season is senior Cindy Forde. The Barbados-native has shown many improvements each week, picking up a personal best at each meet she has competed in. After recording her fastest regular season time and personal best of 17:26.2 at the Little Rock Invitational two weeks ago, Forde is now the fifth-fastest 5-kilometer runner at MSU. The fastest time at MSU was posted by Pasca Cheruiyot in 2008 with a time of 16:57.81. Forde places 10th on the MVC best list this season.
"We really think Cindy has a good chance of being in the top-10," commented Fife. "Her workouts are looking better and better every week of the season. She's strong, she's confident, and we know she is going to run well this weekend."
In their most recent meet of the season (Little Rock Invitational), seven of Forde's teammates joined her, recording personal bests of their own. Five Bears - Savannah Beaver (18:18.3), Alyson Jones (19:01.4), Amber Obermaier (20:18.1), Mercedes Robinson (19:36.8), and Claire Schwarz (19:55.0) - improved by 20 seconds or more in the meet.
The newcomers on the squad this season have made an immediate impact. All freshmen that have competed this season for the Bears have set personal bests or lifetime bests after the first meet of the season at the Bob Timmons Classic in Lawrence, Kan.
Following the MVC Championships will be the NCAA Midwest Region on Friday, Nov. 13 at the Rim Rock Farm in Lawrence, Kan.
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