Cross country teams fair well at conference tourney

The Big Ten Championships had its ups and downs for both cross country teams. IU had another consistent meet in Ann Arbor on Saturday.

The Hoosier men finished fifth and were led by senior Timothy McLeod’s impressive eighth place finish individually. McLeod was closely followed by teammate Andrew Poore at 17th, continuing his steady season.

Senior Brennon Plotner and sophomore Cole Hardacre crossed the finish line at 29th and 39th, respectively, with sophomore Jacob Laird rounding out the squad at 42nd.

“We ran pretty terrible actually.” McLeod said after the meet. “We had a lot higher expectations coming into (the race). It was pretty disappointing that we didn’t meet our goals. We were definitely one of the most talented teams at the race, but we didn’t come into it with a great mental state.”

The IU women’s cross country team saw better results than their male counterparts in a competitive field but still placed eighth in the Big Ten Championships this weekend. The meet included six teams in the top 21 in the nation. Junior Wendi Robinson continued her outstanding season when she crossed the line eighth overall.

“I thought it was a good step for us,” Robinson said. “Not everyone necessarily (set a personal record), but it was a really hard course. I thought we ran really well as a team, and it was a great step forward for regionals. In our region, we have Wisconsin, Michigan and Michigan State to compete with. It will be hard to crack into the top three, but we are going to have to run hard and hopefully gain an at-large bid for nationals.”

Sophomore Sarah Pease crossed next at 25th, and Chelsea Blanchard finished 42nd. Kristina Trcka and Caity Laurer rounded out the team at 49th and 56th, respectively.

The Hoosiers will need to revamp and reload before setting their eyes on the Great Lakes Region Championships on Nov. 15 in West Lafayette.