Women's Cross Country | 9/1/2022 9:00:00 AM

Emporia State Cross Country
at JK Gold Classic
4 Mile Creek Resort • Augusta, KS
Saturday, September 3 • Men's 6K at 8:30 a.m./Women's 5K at 9:00 a.m.
Live Results • Complete Notes in pdf
Up Next: Southern Stampede
Saturday, September 17 • Women 5K at 8:30 a.m./Men 8K at 9:45 a.m.
Tom Rutledge Cross Country Course • Joplin, Mo.

LET'S GET IT STARTED
Emporia State opens the 2022 cross country season at the J.K. Gold Invitational hosted by Wichita State in Augusta, Kan.  It is the first of five regular season meets scheduled for the Hornets two of which will be on their new home course at the Trusler Sports Complex.

MIAA PRESEASON POLLS
The Emporia State men are ranked eighth and the women tenth in this year's MIAA Preseason Coaches Polls.
The top of the women's poll was tight with five teams getting at least one first place vote. Neb.-Kearney and Central Missouri tied for first with 125 points despite the Lopers enjoying a 5-2 advantage in first place votes.  Pittsburg State was third with 121 points and two first place votes to edge out Northwest Missouri who received three first place votes but only 120 total points. Rogers State was in fifth with 97 points and picked up the remaining first place vote.
Three men's teams received a first place vote led by Missouri Southern with seven and 97 total points.  Pittsburg State had two first place votes and 84 points to place second while Neb.-Kearney picked up the other first place vote and finished with 82 points to come in third.

THE COACH
Dr. Mark Stanbrough is in the fifth year of his return to Emporia State as an assistant coach in track and field in charge of the middle distance and distance runners and heads up the cross country program. Since his return he has coached one MIAA Champion in cross country and three on the track and has taken two individuals to the NCAA Cross Country National Championships. Stanbrough was the head men's and women's track and field and cross country coach for the Hornets from 1984-1992. During that span the Hornets were a national power. Stanbrough was named NAIA District 10 Coach of the Year 11 times, coached 28 Athletes to 60 NAIA All-American Honors, and coached eleven national champions. The cross country harriers had two top five national finishes, with the women national runner-ups and the men placing fifth.

ABOUT THE HORNETS
Emporia State will need to replace their top runners for both the men and women this year after both of them advanced to the NCAA Championships last season.
The Emporia State women return four of their top eight runners from last season's MIAA Championships. Senior Hannah Showalter was the second runner for Emporia State in the first four races last year. Sophomore Irina Honc was the second runner at the MIAA and Central Regional Championships for the Hornets and was the top placer for ESU at the Tiger Open.
The men return three of their top seven from the NCAA Central Regional but need to replace the top four finishers. Jamie Diaz is the top returner for Emporia State from the MIAA and Central Regional Championships.

LAST TIME AT JK GOLD
Both the Emporia State men and women placed third at the JK Gold Classic hosted by Wichita State.
Jenna Ramsey ran 18:33.75 over five kilometers to place fourth overall and lead the Emporia State women.  Hannah Showalter was 16th in 20:32.11 while Irina Honc ran 20:45.37 to place 18th and give the Hornets three runners in the top 20.
Matthew Maki was the top finisher for the Emporia State men.  He ran 18:43.04 to place 11th overall.  He was joined in the top 20 by Connor Young who ran 19:05.96 to place 17th overall.

UP NEXT
The Hornets travel to Joplin, Mo. to take part in the Southern Stampede hosted by Missouri Southern on Sept. 17. Action on the Tom Rutledge Cross Country Course is set to begin at 8:30 a.m. for the women's 5 kilometer race and 9:45 a.m. for the men's 8 kilometer race.