Carbondale Reporter

Southern Illinois University's men's and women's cross country teams competed in the 2025 Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) Championships on Friday at Angel Mounds in Evansville, Indiana. The event brought together all 11 conference members.

The men's team finished with 244 points. Head Coach Angelina Ramos acknowledged the team's progress but noted areas for improvement. "Obviously, we wanted more on the men's side from how the cards played out. The men fought the entire way -- as a whole group, we just have to get much stronger in heavy wind and in that thicker mud. Our team is much better this year than last year, and I regret that the results can't showcase that. We are much deeper and further along, with our top freshman finishing 19 places ahead of last year's top freshman, and guys like Ben Chance improving 25 places. I owe it to them to let them see how much progress they've truly made both individually and as a group in the 10K and during the track season. I'm proud of this young group-- they're a strong team chemistry and doing all the little things culture-wise that matter long term."

On the women's side, freshman Ellary Blakey delivered a notable performance despite challenging weather conditions. "Women's wise, freshman Ellary Blakey impressed. Despite dealing with some Achilles and calf tendinitis, she got a big 23-second personal best 6k time ever during a day and muddy, wet, windy course with every excuse not to, and ran her whole heart out for her team," Ramos said.

Riley Linville and Hannah Meiser were also among those leading their teammates through a highly competitive field. Ramos reflected on recent hardships faced by members of the squad: "This team has struggled through adversity from last year's group in the March 2025 car wreck and Hannah Meiser's frustration to get back to where she finished XC last season (33rd) in retraining biomechanics after a broken arm post car wreck. Then we have others battling return post mono and bronchitis, etc. They've just missed too much time out, and the lack of specific strength showed in many. Others aren't competing confident even if extremely fit, and it showcases how this sport is just as mental and mindset as it is physical.  Equally, we have people who aren't healthy dealing with breathing complications. We will regroup these women, get more healthy, and get back to the work. Respect to the level of the conference and what it's going to take for them to regain confidence after all the setbacks they've encountered."

With cross country season concluded for Southern Illinois University runners, preparations will begin soon for indoor track events scheduled for December.

For updates on Saluki cross country or track programs, fans can follow @SalukiTrackXC on X (formerly Twitter), @SIUTrackXC on Instagram or @SalukiTrackandField on Facebook.