October 22, 2008
Eagles looking to end UW-Parkside's reign
EVANSVILLE, Ind.—The University of Southern Indiana women's cross country team is looking to put an end to the University of Wisconsin-Parkside's string of four consecutive league titles when it competes at the GLVC Championships Saturday in Rolla, Missouri. The women's 6k race is slated to begin at 11:30 a.m., while the men's 8k is scheduled for a 10:30 a.m. start.
Led by junior All-Americans Mary Ballinger (Chesterton, Indiana) and Allison Shafer (Plainville, Indiana), the Screaming Eagles are looking to capture their first GLVC title since 2003 and their fourth in the program's 20-year history.
USI, which is seventh in the latest United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches' Association Division II Top 25 Poll, is coming off an impressive second-place finish out of 19 teams at the University of Evansville Invitational last weekend.
Ballinger, who is one of the favorites along with Shafer and UW-Parkside's Jessica Monson to win the individual title, finished first at the UE Invitational, marking her second win of the fall.
Monson (formerly known as Lamp) is the defending GLVC champion, while Shafer won the individual title in 2006.
While Ballinger and Shafer figure to be at the top of the heap for an individual title, look for freshman Adrienne Curtis (Louisville, Kentucky) and sophomore Holly Bartelt (Huntingburg, Indiana) to push the top group. Curtis was USI's number two finisher at the Indiana Intercollegiates last month, while Bartelt has been USI's number three finisher twice this season.
In addition to USI and UW-Parkside, which is 20th in the latest national rankings, other top competitors for the team title include Bellarmine University and Northern Kentucky University, both of whom are in the top 10 of the NCAA II Midwest Region rankings.
USTFCCCA D-II Top 25 Poll
1. Adams State
2. Grand Valley State
3. Augustana (SD)
4. Chico State
5. Western State
6. Shippensburg
7. Southern Indiana
8. Tampa
9. Missouri Southern State
10. Harding
11. Findlay
12. Kutztown
13. Edinboro
14. Cal State Los Angeles
15. Slippery Rock
16. Minnesota-Duluth
17. Seattle Pacific
18. Wayne State (MI)
19. Alaska Anchorage
20. Wisconsin Parkside
21. UC San Diego
22. Dallas Baptist
23. Mesa State
24. Alabama Huntsville
25. Pittsburg State
Dan McDonnell,
USI Sports Information
