Central Michigan University Athletics
Saturday, November 21
2 p.m.
Central Michigan University
at
MAC Championships
Photo by: Keara Chaperon '22
MAC Championships Await Chippewa Runners
11/20/2020 4:14:00 PM | Men's Cross Country, Women's Cross Country
MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. – The Central Michigan cross country team will head to Bowling Green, Ohio, on Saturday for the Mid-American Conference Championships at the Bowling Green Cross Country Course.
The Chippewa women will run in a 12-team field, while the Chippewa men will run against seven other teams. The women's race is scheduled to begin at 2 p.m., the men's at 3 p.m.
The meet comes just weeks after the Chippewas opened their season with the annual Jeff Drenth Memorial. They then competed in a meet at Bowling Green two weeks ago in a season that has been abbreviated by COVID-19.
Those two races were important, CMU Director of Cross Country/Track & Field Jenny Swieton said, to get the Chippewas' competitive juices flowing and to get a look at the Bowling Green course, which was redesigned before this season.
"It kind of woke people up and got them in that competitive mindset," Swieton said. "Competing against one another, it's not the same as when you're competing against other teams.
"It was also good, obviously, to get to run the course and see different race strategies, how they need to run that course. In cross country, the course itself can determine your strategy as well as the competition can. It was almost like a pre-MAC meet for us."
The Chippewa men are led by sophomore Adam Rzentkowski, who was fourth in the race at Bowling Green two weeks ago and won the Drenth. Junior Lauren Beckmann and freshman Emily Paupore are among the leaders for the CMU women.
Paupore, running in her first collegiate race, won the Drenth and then placed seventh two weeks ago at Bowling Green.
"Everybody that we have going has a chance to so something big for them, to accomplish something big for where they are," Swieton said. "Even if it isn't an All-MAC performance it could be a big step forward as a runner, and that's what we're really looking for this weekend, to see improvement and growth across the board."
The Chippewa women will run in a 12-team field, while the Chippewa men will run against seven other teams. The women's race is scheduled to begin at 2 p.m., the men's at 3 p.m.
The meet comes just weeks after the Chippewas opened their season with the annual Jeff Drenth Memorial. They then competed in a meet at Bowling Green two weeks ago in a season that has been abbreviated by COVID-19.
Those two races were important, CMU Director of Cross Country/Track & Field Jenny Swieton said, to get the Chippewas' competitive juices flowing and to get a look at the Bowling Green course, which was redesigned before this season.
"It kind of woke people up and got them in that competitive mindset," Swieton said. "Competing against one another, it's not the same as when you're competing against other teams.
"It was also good, obviously, to get to run the course and see different race strategies, how they need to run that course. In cross country, the course itself can determine your strategy as well as the competition can. It was almost like a pre-MAC meet for us."
The Chippewa men are led by sophomore Adam Rzentkowski, who was fourth in the race at Bowling Green two weeks ago and won the Drenth. Junior Lauren Beckmann and freshman Emily Paupore are among the leaders for the CMU women.
Paupore, running in her first collegiate race, won the Drenth and then placed seventh two weeks ago at Bowling Green.
"Everybody that we have going has a chance to so something big for them, to accomplish something big for where they are," Swieton said. "Even if it isn't an All-MAC performance it could be a big step forward as a runner, and that's what we're really looking for this weekend, to see improvement and growth across the board."
Players Mentioned
/ Women's Cross Country
/ Women's Cross Country
/ Men's Cross Country
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