USI Screaming Eagles | Men's Cross Country

September 29, 2005

Nationally-ranked Eagle runners return to action,
Big-race feeling to Saturday's Lakefront Invitational

EVANSVILLE, Ind.—There will be a big-race feeling when the University of Southern Indiana men's and women's cross country teams return to action this Saturday at the 33rd Annual Sean Earl Lakefront Classic in Chicago, Illinois.

The Screaming Eagles will compete against NCAA Division I squads as well as nationally-ranked NCAA Division II and III teams from around the Great Lakes Region.

USI's men, who are ranked 24th in the latest NCAA II Top 25 poll, will compete in a field of 30 teams which feature 21 Division I teams as well as GLVC rival Lewis University and regional powers Grand Valley State University and Saginaw Valley State University.

Senior Jesse Davis (Bloomington, Indiana) and junior Rey Alvarez (Danville, Illinois) will continue to battle for USI's number one and two positions, while the battle for USI's three, four, and five spots could get interesting on Saturday.

Paul Jellema

Sophomore Paul Jellema (Dyer, Indiana) as well as freshmen Joe Rayman (West Lafayette, Indiana) and Tim Sirbek (Hammond, Indiana) should challenge seniors Jake England (Valparaiso, Indiana), Rob Garwood (Columbus, Indiana), and David Tyler (Evansville, Indiana) for those spots.

USI's women, who are ranked 12th in the latest NCAA II Top 25 poll, will compete in a field of 28 teams which feature 25 Division I teams as well as NCAA II regional power Grand Valley State University.

Senior Heather Cooksey (Brownsburg, Indiana) and junior Missy Burgin (Sellersburg, Indiana) will be USI's frontrunners, while freshman Allison Shafer (Plainville, Indiana) should be a strong number three for the Eagles on Saturday.
Casey Schneider

The Eagles also will welcome the return of senior Casey Schneider (New Salisbury, Indiana) to the lineup. Schneider, who missed last season due to injury, has been nursing a leg injury that has kept her out of USI's first two competitions this year.

Saturday's meet will be the third for USI this season. The Eagles will compete in the Saluki Invitational October 8 before racing for GLVC supremacy at the league championships October 22.

Dan McDonnell,
USI Sports Information

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