Then-junior Sara Kroll placed first overall, running a personal-best time of 20:13 and earning first-team all-conference honors.

Walt Drenth, the head track and field and cross country coach for MSU, said even though they didn’t win the overall team meet last year, he thought they ran really well at the end of the fall. This year, he said he expects both of his teams to run well as they head to Indiana.

“We have a competitive group, and I would say the teams have set their goals,” Drenth said. “The men want to be in the top tier of the group and make some progress from last year. We just want to be as good as we can be and maximize who we are.”

Leah O’Connor, a junior and member of the women’s team, placed fourth overall in last year’s championship and also earned first-team all-conference honors. She won the Spartan Invitational this year.
As she prepares for this coming Sunday, she said there are a few things she is keeping in mind.

“Individually, I want to run my best, have confidence going into the race and not have any regrets leaving the course,” O’Connor said. “I want to have fun with it and not make it so outcome-based because I understand that it’s not about me. I want to get the lowest place I can possibly get for my team (because it’s the least amount of points).”

O’Connor said the team has been working hard since the summer. Even though their workouts have recently become a bit lighter, she said they are still mentally gearing up for this meet.

“Big Ten is like going into battle,” O’Connor said. “There’s certain teams that you’re gunning for and you really have to build up team morale. It’s about how your team does, so we’re all working together to pump each other up.”

Caleb Rhynard, a sophomore for the men’s team, was the first Spartan to cross the finish line in the Big Ten Championship last year, with a 24:22 time. He said the men’s team wants to improve in the Big Ten this year and hopefully finish in the meet’s top three.

“We kind of have to have an ego going out there,” Rhynard said. “(We have to) show people that hey, we are talented, we do have the runners. Now it’s just a matter of putting it on the paper.”

Drenth said the opportunity to run in the Big Ten Championship is an honor. He said his main advice as head coach is to manage themselves. If they do that, he said things will turn out just the way they’re supposed to turn out.

“Our objective is to be mentally and physically fresh and excited to compete,” Drenth said.
“They just have to stay calm, and do the things we normally do in practice.”

O’Connor said the coaches have worked very hard to get them to this level, and the program has grown tremendously since her freshman year. She said she loves running for MSU, and being able to represent her school in the Big Ten Championship means a lot to her.
“Every time I put on my uniform and I get to race and represent MSU, I’m just really proud,”dg O’Connor said. “I want to do the best that I can do because so many people at MSU invest so much into us. Just knowing we can gun for a Big Ten title, and work really hard all year round for these people has been awesome.”dg