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Cross Country To Compete at Walt Disney World Classic

Cross Country To Compete at Walt Disney World Classic
Posted: Oct 05, 2009

Oct. 5, 2009

Contact: Greg Murphy

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MEET #6
Walt Disney World Classic
Date: Saturday, Oct. 10, 2009
Time: 8:30 a.m.
Site: Orlando, Fla.

THE STARTING LINE: The Cleveland State cross country team is looking forward to a special weekend as the Vikings will head to Orlando, Fla., to compete in the Walt Disney World Classic on Saturday (Oct. 10) at 8:30 a.m. It will mark the furthest that the Vikings have ever traveled for a competition and the first time the Vikings will fly to an event.

LAST TIME OUT: CSU finished 30th of 42 teams at the annual All-Ohio Invitational on Friday (Oct. 2) in Delaware, Ohio. Sophomore Brittany Elmlinger was 108th in 21:07 to lead the Vikings, while sophomore Kelly Zaleski was 135th in 21:37.

THE HEAD COACH: Now in his fifth season at the helm of the cross country program, Joe Jaketic has continued to make steady progress in building the team. A 1972 graduate of Cleveland State, Jaketic guided the Vikings to a ninth place showing at the league championship in 2007 and an eighth place showing in 2006. It was the first time since the 1996-97 MCC Championships that CSU finished ahead of a league foe in back-to-back seasons. Jaketic, who was the equipment manager at CSU for 37 years before retiring last winter, has consistently had his team near the top of the Horizon League in GPA and has won the Academic Progress Rate Award in 2008 and 2009. Jaketic is a 1972 graduate of CSU.

CRAINE GETTING BACK ON TRACK: Sophomore Allison Craine continues to work back into competition shape after missing the entire 2008 season with a stress fracture in her leg. Craine, who was CSU's top finisher in all eight events in 2007, was the Vikings top finisher at the Cedarville Invitational with a season-best time of 19:36. In 11 career events, Craine has posted sub 20-minute times on seven occasions.

... BUT HELD OUT OF ALL-OHIO: Allison Craine was held out of Friday's (Oct. 2) All-Ohio Championships due to a leg injury. Jaketic said Craine could have run if needed, but he decided to hold her out due to wet and sloppy course conditions, thus keeping her more fresh for the upcoming Horizon League Championship in three weeks.

SUPER SOPH: Sophomore Brittany Elmlinger has shown no signs of a sophomore slump thusfar, having been CSU's first or second finisher in all five events this season. She was 24th at Cedarville (Sept. 19), running a 19:49. That performance came on the heels of Elmlinger finishing 37th at Bowling Green on Sept. 12 in 19:29, just one second off her personal best time.

HOW LOW CAN SHE GO?: Sophomore Kelly Zaleski has lowered her personal best time in each of the last two full events (not counting the Ohio Invitational), beginning with a 20:16 at Bowling Green on Sept. 12. That time was one second better than her old record set last season at Ohio. However, Zaleski was even better at Cedarville on Sept. 26, finishing in 20:11, knocking five more seconds off her personal best.

UP NEXT: The Vikings conclude the regular season when CSU competes at the Falcon Invitational on Saturday, Oct. 17.