Oct. 18, 2012

WATCH: Cross Country Preview

EAST LANSING, Mich. - The Michigan State cross country team will wrap up the regular season on Friday, Oct. 19 at the EMU Fall Classic in Dexter, Mich. The race marks the final competition for the Spartans prior to the championship season. Action at the Hudson Mills Metropark is scheduled to start at 4:30 p.m. with the women's 5,000-meter race followed by the men's 5,000-meter race at 5:30 p.m.

Where We Rank
In the latest U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) weekly poll, the women find themselves ranked 15th after their strong performance at the Wisconsin adidas Invitational. Regionally, the women continue to sit in second-place in the Great Lakes Region standings.

On the men's side, MSU is currently seventh in the USTFCCCA Great Lakes regional rankings.

Last Time Out
MSU finished action at the 2011 Wisconsin adidas Invitational in Madison, Wis., at the Thomas Zimmer Championships Cross Country Course on Friday, Oct. 12.

Overall, the women placed ninth among a field of 49 squads with 420 points. The Spartans finished ahead of 10 squads ranked in the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association's weekly top-30 poll. Junior Sara Kroll paced the Green and White with a career-best time of 20:05, good for 20th overall. On the men's side, MSU finished 35th overall in the 8,000-meter race led by sophomore David Madrigal with his time of 24:27 to finish 137th overall.

Michigan State also had a strong showing in-state at the Jayhawk Invitational hosted by Muskegon Community College. The women finished first overall with a perfect team score of 15 points, while the men did not receive a team score as they ran unattached.

Freshman Alexa Rumsey won the women's 5,000-meter race as she broke a course record, running a personal-best time of 17:52. The men stayed in the front half of the pack in the 8,000-meter race. Junior Ryan Konen finished first overall, also with a course record-setting time of 24:13.

Michigan State has had a balanced squad this season with five men and five women placing first for the Spartans in the first six meets of the season, varying from true freshman to seniors.

Next Up
The Spartans open the post season as they host the 2012 Big Ten Championships at the Forest Akers Golf Course in East Lansing, Mich., on Sunday, Oct. 28. Racing is scheduled to kick-off at 10:45 a.m. ET.