Wheeling, W. Va. – throughout the fall season, the Wheeling University Cross Country Team has been working to improve their times. Race in and race out. On Saturday, the Cardinals will compete in their final tune-up before the Mountain East Conference (MEC) Cross Country Championships, When they run at the Carnegie Mellon Invitational. It will be a return to the same course that the team ran at Robert Morris, with Wheeling. Hoping for better conditions. Us make their final preparations to compete against the best in the conference.
Last time out, the two teams would split with the women running at Youngstown State and the men competing at Muskingum. The women were up first in their second straight NCAA D1 event when they competed at Youngstown State. Wheeling was able to place two runners in the top 60 of the event, while each of their top three runners finished in at least the top 70. There was one PR on the course for the event, while each of the top three runners would lower their times from the previous race. The men were supposed to run at Youngstown State as well, but a team illness would force them to pull out of that race. Instead, the Cardinals would run at the Muskingum Invitational, where they would compete in a field of 25 runners. The Cardinals would pick up their first top five runner of the season as they continue their preparations for the championship event.
Leading the way on the women's side was Madison Conrad, who just cracked the top 40 of the event with a time of 26:32. It would drop 19 seconds off of her time from the Robert Morris Invitational, as she continues to prepare for the conference championships. Last season, she was just three spots shy of earning All-conference honors a season ago, and looks to grab the award this season. The lone PR on the day came courtesy of Jade Trowell, who finished 59th overall with a time of 28:52. She dropped nearly another minute off her time from the Robert Morris Invitational and was able to set a PR for the second straight event. While she is not a typical Cross Country runner, using the sport to prepare for the 400 and 800 meter run during Track & Field, she is enjoying a successful on the course.
On the men's side, the Cardinals would be led by sophomore Redick Moore, who picked up his first top five finish of the season. Moore would finish fifth overall in the field, running a time of 32:07.3, and finishing just three minutes shy of the top runner in the field. Moore missed all of last season due to injury and has been putting together some strong runs to start the season. He would set his collegiate PR at Robert Morris, where he put together a time of 29:55.4, and he looks to continue building on those baselines. Distance Coach Chase Stewart is looking to work with Moore on the mental side of his game as he continues preparing for a run at the All-MEC honors this season.
As they get set to run at Carnegie Mellon, the team will be running a course than they attached once already this season at Robert Morris, with better conditions in the forecast. The last time the team ran at the Youthtowne Field, rain was in the forecast and the course took a toll due to the wet conditions. This time around, the Cardinals will look to run in dryer conditions And use that to their advantage in what will be their final run before the MEC Cross Country Championships. With several conference opponents set to be in the competition field, the Cardinals will get one more chance to challenge themselves so they are ready for the MEC Championships in November.
The Details
The Carnegie Mellon Invitational is scheduled for Saturday beginning at 10 AM Youthtowne Fields. Stay tuned to wucardinals.com for a full recap of the event following the race.
