Women's cross-country on course for strong national run

URBANA – A veteran Illinois women's cross-country team and a sophomore-heavy UI men's squad will open their seasons today in the Illini Challenge at the UI Arboretum course.

The women's 4-kilometer race starts at 5 p.m., with the men's 6K event scheduled for 5:30 p.m.

The Illini women return six of their seven entrants in the 2008 NCAA Championships, including seven-time cross-country and track All-American Angela Bizzarri.

"We want to try to win the Big Ten title and try to go back and be in the Top 10 in the nation," UI coach Jeremy Rasmussen said. "If we are hitting on all cylinders when we get to that stage, then we'll try to get a trophy."

Bizzarri set a cross-country 6K school record of 19 minutes, 59 seconds last year while placing sixth at the NCAA meet. Because of an extended track season that stretched into July, the 2009 U.S. bronze medalist in the 5,000 meters is slowly easing back into training and will not compete today. The senior tentatively is scheduled to debut Sept. 11 in the Harry Groves Spiked Shoe Invitational at State College, Pa. – site of this year's Big Ten Championships.

"Angela is probably going to be our No. 1 runner throughout the season when she races," Illini coach Jeremy Rasmussen said. "She's probably going to compete at Penn State, however, not at full speed, and I wouldn't be surprised if she wasn't the first one from our team to pass the finish line. Her first hard race is going to be (at) Wisconsin (Oct. 3) or Pre-Nationals (Oct. 17) depending on how she is feeling and her progression."

Other key returnees include sophomore Kristin Sutherland, junior Chantelle Groenewoud and senior Elizabeth Boyle – all of whom joined Bizzarri as point scorers for Illinois' 10th-place NCAA team last fall.

The Illini also will regain the services of 2007 Big Ten Freshman of the Year Danelle Woods, who redshirted last season.

The Illini men will look to make strides following an injury-riddled 2008 season that created a heavy reliance on freshmen. Five of Illinois' eight entrants in the Big Ten meet last year were first-year runners.

"The main goal is progress," said coach Wendel McRaven, whose Illini placed ninth in the 2008 conference meet. "We want to finish in the upper half of the Big Ten and put ourselves in a position to qualify for nationals."

Although McRaven will work with a better balance of veterans and underclassmen this year, the roster still is heavily weighted toward the latter with 11 sophomores. That class includes Nate Troester, the Illini's top finisher in the 2008 NCAA Midwest Regional.

"They have the experience and have grown together, so they won't be shocked by anything new this year," McRaven of the sophomores. "There is a lot of growth between freshman and sophomore year, so I expect more than a couple guys out of that group to rise up and make a mark."

Senior Jeremy Stevens is the top returnee after leading the team in four meets last season, including the Big Ten race.

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