Simon Elfrink
Contributing Writer
selfrink@murraystate.edu
The Murray State Racers took first place for both the men’s and women’s Cross Country teams at the inaugural Murray State Open.
Murray State hosted the last race of the regular season on Friday, Oct. 18, at Miller Memorial Golf Course. Murray State has not hosted a competition since the OVC meet back in 2015.
Assistant Coach Jordan Wallace was pleased with the results, especially considering the terrain her team competed on.
“It was a new course for everybody,” Wallace said. “It was one of the hilliest courses any of those athletes competed on in the past.”
Junior Caleb Kawasaki led the way for the Racers on the men’s side. He finished fifth overall, running a time of 26:45.1. Close behind was senior Zach Balleau, running 27:43.1 and placing seventh overall. Junior Meyer Makemson placed 12th overall and ran a time of 28:04.4. Sophomore Christian Slone placed 14th overall, just ten seconds behind Makemson at 28:14.7. Senior Tyler Bradley was the fifth Racer across the line, maintaining a top 20 spot, running 28:43.8 and finishing 17th.
Wallace had nothing but great things to say about Christian Slone’s great improvement. Though he’s never been a top finisher for the team, Wallace recognized his impressive finish at the Murray State Open.
“[Slone] really stepped up for the team,” Wallace said. “He had a really good race, getting after it right from the beginning. He’s been working hard in practice. He’s starting to see the improvements and starting to train with faster guys in front. [This] was a really good day to see some of that hard work pay off.”
The women mirrored the men’s success. They were led by freshman Emma Graf, who finished 4th overall with a time of 19:36.7. Sophomore Dani Wright finished seventh and ran a time of 20:17.7. Senior Katelyn Gilbert picked up eighth place on a time of 20:43.2. Sophomore Morgan Vosler was just seconds behind Gilbert, crossing at 20:44.5 and placing ninth overall. Senior Hilary McAdam was the last representative for the Racers’ overall score, placing 11th with a time of 21:07.9.
“Collectively, all the girls did very well,” Wallace said. “It was a challenging course, but [their times] were a little bit faster than we anticipated them to be.”
Wallace explained the hills on the course were bound to take a toll on individual performance in regards to time. However, she explained at this point in the season, placement holds a lot more weight than time.
“A lot of the time throughout the course of the season, you’re focusing on times and running your personal best,” Wallace explained. “When we get to the conference meet it’s all about what place you come in to help the team finish. This was a great opportunity for us to practice that. I think we left off on a good foot going into the conference meet in two weeks.”
The Racers will test their mettle on Saturday, Nov. 2, at the OVC Championship competition in Edwardsville, Illinois.