Bradley University Athletics

Cross Country Teams Open 2016 Season At Iowa

Duane Zehr, Bradley University ITPS

Men's Cross Country 9/1/2016 12:00:00 PM

PEORIA, Ill. -- The Bradley men's and women's cross country teams will get a chance to run on the course which will host the 2016 NCAA Midwest Regional later this year, with both squads opening the season Friday afternoon at the Hawkeye Early Bird in Iowa City, Iowa.

Both Bradley teams open the year ranked among the top 15 in the region, with the men's team starting the year seventh in the pre-season USTFCCCA Midwest Region poll and the women's squad checking in at 14th. The Bradley men were picked to defend their Missouri Valley Conference title after claiming the first conference championship in program history last fall, while the two-time defending MVC champion women's team was tabbed second in the pre-season ranking by the league coaches.

The Hawkeye Early Bird starts at 6 p.m. with the women's 3K and the men's 6K will follow at 6:45 p.m. at the Ashton Cross Country Course, which will serve as the site for the 2016 NCAA Midwest Regional Friday, Nov. 11.

The season-opening meet will help serve as an early barometer for the Braves, with Valley rivals Drake, Illinois State and Northern Iowa in the field. The women's field includes three other regionally ranked teams in Iowa State (#3), Missouri (#6) and Illinois State (#12) in addition to Creighton and Iowa.

Five of the nine squads slated to compete on the men's side are ranked in the USTFCCCA Midwest poll. Illinois is the top ranked men's team in the field at #4 followed by fifth-ranked Iowa State. Missouri is 11th in the regional poll and Valley rival Illinois State completed the rankings in 15th.

Second-year head coach Darren Gauson and the Bradley men's team returns the bulk of a lineup which claimed the first MVC Championship in program history. Headlining the returning cast is junior Michael Ward (Cardiff, South Wales/Llanishen), who is one of three returning All-MVC cross country performers for the Braves along with junior Taylor Floyd Mews (Milwaukee, Wis./Wauwatosa West) and senior Patrick Campbell (Wauwatosa, Wis./Wauwatosa).

On the women's side, Gauson will have a young roster to mentor after returning just two individuals who helped the Braves claim a second straight Valley title. Sophomores Abby Jockisch (Peoria, Ill./Dunlap) and Gabby Juarez (Streamwood, Ill./Streamwood) are expected to challenge for spots at the top of the Bradley lineup after strong freshmen campaigns.

After the Hawkeye Early Bird Invite, the Braves host the first of three home meets Friday, Sept. 16 with the Bradley Intercollegiate at Detweiller Park.

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