CSU Cross Country - Meet 3

Toledo Invitational

Date: Saturday, Sept. 16

Time: 9:45 a.m.

Site: Toledo, Ohio

THE STARTING LINE: The Cleveland State women's cross country team travels to Toledo for the Toledo Invitational on Saturday (Sept. 16). The meet is the third of the season for the Vikings, who are coming off a fourth place finish at the Tom Evans Invitational in Akron on Saturday (Sept. 9). The meet, hosted by the University of Toledo, will begin at 9:45 a.m.

SECOND MEET MUCH BETTER: CSU rebounded from its 11th place finish on Sept. 2 at the Bill Sudeck Invitational to run to a fourth place finish at the Tom Evans Invitational. Freshman Caitlan Ebner, who has led the Vikings in both meets this season, posted a season-best time of 20:32, besting her previous low time by 10 seconds. Sophomore Madeline Singer finished second for the Vikings, clocking in at 22:41 and senior Sherri Douglas ran a 22:57 to finish third. Junior Christina Swierz was just six seconds behind Douglas, finishing at 23:03. Freshman Colleen Conway ran a 23:37 to finish fifth for the Vikings in her first collegiate meet. Senior Shannon Graves, making her CSU cross country debut after playing four years of softball, rounded out the Viking lineup with a time of 24:07.

GETTING A STEP UP ON THE COMPETITION: The Vikings edged Horizon League rival Youngstown State at the Tom Evans Invitational, marking the first time CSU has beaten a league opponent in cross country under head coach Joe Jaketic. It was also the first time CSU has outrun an NCAA Division I opponent under Jaketic's tutleage.

ADDITIONS TO THE SQUAD: Freshman Colleen Conway and sophomore Melisa Mazanec have been added to the Viking roster, bringing the squad to nine runners. Conway is one of two freshmen on the team and Mazanec is a former CSU soccer player.

JAKETIC ON THE VIKINGS: "I'm very optimistic about how we have started our season. We have competed against some very good teams and it is only making us stronger. And now that we have added some depth to our roster, we will no doubt be more competitve in every single meet this season."

UP NEXT: The Vikings travel to Athens for the Ohio University Invitational on Saturday, Sept. 23. The race is slated to begin at 11:00 a.m.