University of Illinois
Iowa Regional Preview
WXC Heads to Iowa Regional Preview
September 29, 2016 | Women's Cross Country
Ashton XC Course site of NCAA Midwest Regional
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – For the second week in a row, the Illinois Women's Cross-Country team will get a chance to run on a postseason course, this time on the Midwest Regional course at the Iowa Regional Preview on Saturday, October 1. The women's race is set to begin at 8:30 a.m. central time at the Ashton Cross-Country Course.
| Iowa Regional Preview | |
|---|---|
| When | October 1 // 8:30 a.m. CT |
| Where | Ashton Cross-Country Course // Iowa City, Iowa |
| Team Info | Meet Notes | Media Guide | Quick Facts | Twitter |
| Meet Links | Meet Info |
Follow the Meet:
Follow @IlliniWXC on Twitter for updates throughout the meet. Full results and a recap of the meet will be provided at the conclusion of the race on fightingillini.com.
Illini Set to Run
The Fighting Illini will feature much of the same group as have in meets past, as the trio of Audrey Blazek, Denise Branch and Amanda Fox lead the group. Valerie Bobart and Kim Seger will compete for the fourth time this season as well, and will be joined by Megan Lemersal, Charlotte Nawor, Grace Rogers and Diane Lipa.
A Look at the Competition
Coach Jones' will see some familiar foes this weekend at the Regional Preview. Having already seen Northern Illinois and Northwestern at multiple other meets this fall, the Orange & Blue will get a chance to show improvement in comparison to how they competed against them in the past. Joining the Huskies and Wildcats, the Illini will also compete against Nebraska, South Dakota and Western Illinois in the 6,000m run.
Coach Jones on the Meet
"There are things we want to continue to work on, in terms of our mental approach to the meet, developing and executing our race plans. But, we also want to have a strong physical effort because it is preparation for our future meets. We want to get a sense of the lay of the land there, but also to race hard and well so that we have a good feeling about it when we go back."
Blazing a Trail
For the second straight meet, junior Audrey Blazek paced the Illini, while finishing first on the team. After placing sixth at the Illinois State Invite, Blazek bested her 2015 Griak Invite time by 10 seconds despite the soggy conditions at Les Bolstad Course.
Trio Pacing Illini
Fighting Illini runners Audrey Blazek, Amanda Fox and Denise Branch have guided the Orange & Blue each of the first three times out this season with the trio all placing in the top-10 at both meets. At the Illini Challenge, Branch come through the chute first, while Blazek took top honors at both the ISU Invite and Graik Invite.
Veteran Presence
While the squad loses key contributors Alyssa Schneider and Britten Petrey, Coach Jones returns 10 upperclassmen, six seniors, for 2016. Of the 10 veterans, six set new personal-records at Big Ten Championships last November. The Illini also welcome back senior Amanda Fox after she missed the 2015 season. Fox finished second on the team, sixth overall, at the Illini Challenge.
Seger Stabilizes Top-Five
Through the first three races of the season, senior Kim Seger has quietly been a reliable runner for Coach Jones. With some lineup uncertainty entering the season, Seger has provided a consistent five runner for the team to rely on. This past week, Seger bested her 2015 Griak Invite time by 45 seconds.
Up Next
With just two meets left in the regular season, the Fighting Illini will compete in their last regular season road meet on October 14, as they compete at the annual Bradley "Pink" Classic at 3:30 p.m. central time.
