Kent State University
NCAA Great Lakes Regional
11/11/2021 9:43:00 AM | Cross Country
The Kent State men's and women's cross country teams are set to compete at the NCAA Great Lakes Regional hosted at Angel Mounds Cross Country Course in Evansville, Indiana on Friday, Nov. 12.
The women's 6K race features 33 teams and will begin at 12 p.m. The men's 10K features 30 teams and will follow at 1 p.m. The top two teams in each race will qualify for the NCAA Championships on Nov. 20. Additionally, the top four individual finishers not on an advancing team will earn a spot at the national meet.
Highlighting the Golden Flashes are graduate student Stephanie Ward and senior Leah Lisle on the women's side, with senior Drew Johnson and freshman Baidy Ba leading the men's squad.
Ward and Lisle have been Kent State's top finishers in each of the past three races. Ward missed all-conference honors by one spot, finishing 15th at the Mid-American Championships in a time of 21:34.0. She has had success at the regional meet in the past, earning All-Region honors by placing 21st as a freshman at the 2016 NCAA Northeast Regional Championships while running for Buffalo. Lisle eyes her first sub-22:00 race after finishing 31st with a time of 22:07.9 at the MAC meet.
Johnson ran an 8K personal-best 24:43.3 to place 11th and earn All-MAC Second Team honors in the Flashes' last race. Ba was named MAC Freshman of the Year after crossing the finish line in 25:03.9, which is his best time as a collegian and good for 17th.
Be sure to follow the Golden Flashes on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook for news and updates about the team.
