Redbird Invite

Friday, September 16

Women's 6K – 5:00 p.m.

Men's 8K – 5:45 p.m.

Normal, Illinois

The Field: The Redbird Invite will feature SIUE, host Illinois State, Butler (women only), Eastern Illinois, Heartland Community College, Illinois-Springfield, Iowa, Northern Iowa, Southern Illinois, and Wartburg.

Season Opener: The SIUE cross country teams opened the 2022 season on September 2nd at the EIU Walt Crawford Open. In the women's race, sophomore Kaitlyn Walker was the top finisher for the Cougars with a time of 19 minutes and 30 seconds in the 5K run. Multiple women finished the race with career-best times, including Alexis Fischer (18th/19:43), Caroline Gwaltney (25th/20:08) and Chessy Nikonowicz (26th/20:09).

In the men's race, Spencer Hielkema was SIUE's top runner in the 8K race in 26 minutes and 12 seconds. Both Tyler Guthrie (17th/26:20) and Jackson Edwards (36th/27:02) ran career-best times in the 8K race. Other SIUE finishers were Cameron Woodard (27:20), Blake Panagos (27:31), and Zach Walters (27:55).

Returning Runners: The Cougars return 16 runners (seven women, nine men) for the 2022 season.

Fresh Faces: The women welcome five incoming freshmen who will help push the pack this season in Olivia Wolf, Peyton Tieffel, Ana Keller, Kylie Eversgerd and Courtney Anthonies. Lone freshman D'Andre Watson joins the men.

Up Next: The Cougars will travel to Columbia, Missouri for the Gans Creek Classic on Friday, September 30th.