As the leaves turn their autumn hues and athletes lace up their sneakers a touch more tightly, Cleveland State's cross country team wrapped up its regular meets with a solid performance at the Falcon Invite, a prelude to the Horizon League Championship. The Vikings took sixth place, not exactly leading the pack, but showing the kind of grit that could turn heads when the stakes rise.
The team clocked in with a combined time of 1:55:32, no small feat considering the crunch of cleats on the course and the competition's heat; their average mile was marked at a swift 6:12, with a five-man gap stretching to 1:53. Coach Hudson couldn't contain his satisfaction, saying, "This meet was a great tune-up for the conference meet," in a statement obtained by CSU Vikings. He lauded the team's season-best times and noted the four who set personal records, calling it "truly a team effort."
Leading the green and white charge was Ana Crangle, who finished a robust 12th and paced her team for the fourth time this season. Her coach noted she ran a great race today and really set herself up to run a great race and really pressed the second half. Her time of 22:01 was not only swift but showcased the kind of leadership one expects from a returning front-runner. Close on her heels, Natalie Keller secured a 16th place with a time of 22:18.2, and her teammates Sage Colon, Kayla Crissman, and Madison McGarrah settled into the mix with performances that rounded out the Viking effort.
But as the leaves will soon fall, so does Cleveland State set its sights on the greater challenge: the Horizon League Championship on the November horizon.
