Chippewas Head to Notre Dame
10/2/2014 12:00:00 AM | Men's Cross Country
Danielle Ross, CMUChippewas.com
MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. - With every meet, the importance increases.
The Central Michigan cross country teams will compete Friday at the 59th annual Notre Dame Invitational, a competition that, like Minnesota's Roy Griak a week ago, allows participants to earn at-large points that could help them land a qualifying spot in the NCAA Championships.
CMU associate coach Matt Kaczor said the Chippewas' lineup is taking shape, both on the men's side and the women's.
For the women, Melinda Palinkas, a senior transfer from Michigan State, will join the lineup for the first time when the Chippewas run at Notre Dame.
"This will be the chance we can see where she fits into the mold with the ladies," Kaczor said.
Breanne Lesnar, Abbey Kelto, Esther Bell, Michaela Bundy, Hannah Davis, Jamie Madrigal, Brooke Morgan and Katie Weiler will compete for CMU in the 5K women's race along with Palinkas.
Notre Dame will be where the CMU men's team sees Eastern Michigan - among the teams the Chippewas must beat in order to win the Mid-American Conference championship - along with 10 schools that are ranked in the top 30 nationally.
Senior Kyle Stacks will not run for CMU, but the rest of the lineup is comprised of runners who Kaczor said, from the beginning of the season, he expected to be the front-runners.
They are Silas Dekalita, Joseph Emmanuel, Nate Ghena, Ethan Lievense, Spencer Nousain, Tanner Pesonen, Alec Toreki and Ben Wynsma along with Monte Scott.
After Notre Dame, the Chippewas will run in the PreNationals at Indiana State on Oct. 18. Not only will CMU again go up against several teams in its regional - and therefore have an opportunity to again earn at-large points - but it is contested over LaVern Gibson Cross Country Course, which is the site of the NCAA Championships.
Players Mentioned
