Central Michigan University Athletics
Split Squads to Run at Michigan Intercollegiates
10/3/2005 12:00:00 AM | Women's Cross Country
Oct. 3, 2005
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MOUNT PLEASANT -- With only two meets remaining before the Mid-American Conference Championships, Central Michigan University women's cross country coach Karen Lutzke has to start thinking about finalizing her roster for the MAC meet.
She'll get a good opportunity to see what each individual is capable of this weekend as the Chippewas compete in two different races as part of the Michigan Intercollegiates on Friday, Oct. 7.
Oakland University is the host and the meets will be held on the OU Golf Course.
A 4K race will begin at 3:30 p.m., and a 6K race will start at 4:30 p.m. Both meets will be scored with the 4K race scoring just the top four runners for each team while the 6K will score the top five. Most of the colleges from the state will field teams in the event, with the exception of Michigan State.
"We're splitting up and running in both races," Lutzke said. "Our top tier runners will compete in the 4K race and the 6K will give everyone competing a chance to race without the same group ahead of it.
"This is a great opportunity for our team and we hope to take advantage of it."
The thing that Lutzke is looking forward to is helping solidify the final roster spots for the conference championship.
"With the group running in the 6K, we'll have the opportunity to see what certain individuals can do on their own, without them focusing on the group ahead and where their teammates are at. Sometimes, you can just key off certain people you run with and follow them, but this will force our athletes to run their own race. We've had a pretty consistent group at the front for us but there are still some people fighting for a spot in the MAC meet."
The Michigan Intercollegiates will also provide CMU a chance to see conference rivals Eastern Michigan and Western Michigan a second time before the MAC meet, and along with that, the chance to compete against nationally ranked Michigan.
"We've seen both EMU and WMU this season and we want to get closer to Western than we were two weeks ago," Lutzke said.
While the Chippewas have had a young group at the front of the pack this season, Lutzke says the seniors have been key to the team's development.
"Our seniors have been really unselfish and it has made our team better," she said. "They have been encouraging and helping out our younger runners."
CMU will have had a full two weeks off before this Friday's meet. The Chippewas last competed in the George Dales Invitational at Western Michigan on Sept. 23. Ball State (31 points) won the triangular meet with WMU (41) finishing second and the Chippewas (54) third.
Jackie Rivard was fourth overall with a 5K time of 18:12. Teresa Bongiovanni and Sara Prout finished eighth and ninth, respectively, in 18:32 and 18:33.
Five Chippewas ran personal bests in the meet.
"Western Michigan had a pack both in front of and right behind our number two and three runners and that was the difference for second place in the team standings," Lutzke said.
After this week, CMU has just the Falcon Invitational on Oct. 15 before the MAC Championships on Oct. 29 at Northern Illinois.
