CLEVELAND, Ohio – The Cleveland State cross country team will compete at the 2015 Horizon League Championship this weekend – with the women's 6K championship race set for a 12:00 p.m. start on Saturday, October 31. This year's championship is being hosted by Wright State and will take place at the Elvin R. King Cross Country Course at Cedarville University.
THE FIELD
Cleveland State is part of a 10-team field for the Horizon League Championship, and will be starting in Box 2 on Saturday. A Complete list of team box assignments is below:
- Milwaukee
- Cleveland State
- Green Bay
- Northern Kentucky
- Youngstown State
- Wright State
- Detroit
- Valparaiso
- Oakland
- UIC
FAMILIAR COURSE
The Vikings will be running on a familiar course this weekend, as they have run at the Elvin R. King Cross Country Course two times already this season. Earlier this year, Cleveland State participated in the Friendship Invitational (5K) and the All-Ohio Championship (6K) - both of which were run at the Elvin R. King Cross Country Course.
TOP 6K TIMES
Entering the Horizon League Championship, the Vikings have recorded five top-50 6K times this season, including four in the top-10. Junior Ashlyn Woods has recorded two of these top times (2nd – 22:25 & 3rd – 22:38), with sophomore Samantha Butterbaugh also adding two (8th – 23:13 & 10th – 23:16), and freshman Marissa Sell notching one (32nd – 24:08).
BEST CHAMPIONSHIP FINISH UNDER JAKETIC
Cleveland State's best Horizon League Championship finish under head coach Joe Jaketic came during the 2011 season, when the Vikings finished fourth as a team. Cleveland State posted four top-40 finishes at the 5K championship, paced by Allison Craine (2007-11) – one of the best runners to compete in a Viking uniform.
PERSONAL BEST TIMES THIS SEASON
So far this season, six Vikings have recorded career-best 6K times while six have also notched career-best 5K times.
Setting 6K Personal-Best Times:
Samantha Butterbaugh (23:13)
Ashley Lydic (24:47)
Emily Marshall (26:08)
Kristin McCarthy (25:25)
Megan O'Keefe (24:48)
Marissa Sell (24:08
Setting 5K Personal-Best Times:
Victoria Bonca (25:13)
Samantha Butterbaugh (19:05)
Emily Marshall (21:13)
Kristin McCarthy (21:10)
Megan O'Keefe (20:43)
Marissa Sell (19:56)
Junior Ashlyn Woods will be looking to earn All-Horizon League honors for the second straight season this weekend, needing a top-14 finish on Saturday to achieve the feat. Woods, who became the first Viking to earn all-league accolades last season, has been Cleveland State's top runner this year and has been averaging a time of 22:31 through two 6K races.
