Senior Morgan Beadlescomb breaks down the highs and lows of the race after finishing first in the men's 8K during the 2021 Spartan Invitational on Friday, Sept. 17, 2021.
Senior Jenna Magness and graduate student Morgan Beadlescomb ran different races.
Not just in terms of distance but in terms of strategy: one paced and paced and methodically pulled away from the field on her time, never really letting anybody truly threaten to take the lead. The other was the epitome of patience, chasing and waiting for the frontrunner to fade down the stretch before devastating him with a peerless kick in the waning minutes of competition.
Differences aside, the results were the same. Both won their respective races with strangleholds on the lead and both got the results they were expecting.
But it was their poise after racing that really set them apart from the pack.
While others crossed the finish line and hunched over for breath, Magness glistened in sweat and talked as if she had just gone for a light jog instead of a hot, breezy 6K through fairways and around tee boxes.
“It felt really good,” Magness said happily yet casually.
Beadlescomb brought the same easygoing, effortless attitude when summing up his thoughts.
“It went well,” he said with a twinkle of excitement as if he had only just considered the imposing five-second lead he had on his nearest competitor.
Only a twinkle, though.
Michigan State men’s and women’s cross country teams had a successful showing at Friday’s Spartan Invitational, the annual meet held at Forest Akers East Golf Course in East Lansing.
Racing against 21 collegiate teams in a home environment for the first time since 2019, the women’s team compiled a field-best team score of 36 points on their way to the win while the men’s team finished second with 51 points to Grand Valley State University (35 points).
Michigan State Director of Track and Field/Cross Country Lisa Breznau said the invitational was a great start for both teams, especially considering it was the first time either side had raced at full strength.
“I think the athletes that showed up and decided to have a tough mentality … gave themselves a chance by prepping really well,” Breznau said. “It’s just a great opportunity to learn.”
Magness took first overall in the women’s collegiate 6K with a time of 21:05.4 to beat out Toledo’s second place freshman Joy Chirchi (21:09.9) and third place sophomore Faith Linga (21:10.6). It was a race Magness was in front of the whole time, between spectators trickling on and off grass lanes to follow the pack and a buzzing reception from the crowd at the finish.
Magness said she stayed in front to “pull the pack” to faster times and only started to break away as she passed the five-kilometer mark. From there, it was her gliding to a no-doubter victory-one that very well might not have happened.
“It was just about ‘Hey, can we go out and not have it cost us a whole lot?’” Breznau said of Magness’ outing. “But we made the decision to go and I think she felt really calm and had to push a little bit that last (kilometer). I’m glad she got to come out and race because it’s our home course, she’s local and it’s fun to win.”
Graduate student Lynsie Gram (21:24.4) took fourth overall, spending much of the race running step by step with Magness. Graduate student Casey Mossholder (22:14.2) took ninth, sophomore Emily Bardwell (22:18.2) placed 11th and junior Melanie Helder (22:20.6) finished 14th with a personal record to round out the top 15.
“It’s not all about the time but her mentality, just since the start of the season, has been exactly what we’re looking for,” Breznau said of Helder. “I’m quite proud of the progress she’s starting to make.”
Breznau also praised freshman Kaitlyn Hynes (21:35.9) who ran unattached from the Spartans but finished an “unbelievable” fifth overall. Sophomores Fatima Giron and Makenna Veen placed 15th and 16th, respectively.
In the men’s 8K, Beadlescomb finished first with a time of 24:15.8 over GVSU’s second place junior Tanner Chada (24:20.8) and third place senior Isaac Harding (24:22.9).
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Beadlescomb spent the first six kilometers typically trailing Toledo junior Matthew Chesum by about 15 meters and as the race wore on, doubts about whether Beadlescomb could wage a comeback festered in the ever-shifting gallery, moving from path to path in suspense of how the lead Spartan would close.
“I knew he went out a little hot,” Beadlescomb said of Chesum’s commanding lead. “Had this been a bigger event, I might have laid on the gas a little bit more on the start.”
He didn’t. Instead, Beadlescomb stuck to his plan, trusted his nerves and kept chipping away to pull his way to the front for the win.
“Morgan’s unbelievable,” Breznau said. “He’s a leader for us. He’s incredibly gifted, he’s intelligent ... It certainly is fun to watch him be able do things like that.”
Similar to Magness, Beadlescomb stayed at the front to “give (his teammates) somebody to look at” for pacing purposes. He said the team’s goals were to run as a group and be in control of the run, a command they certainly demonstrated with their collective finishes.
Redshirt junior Adbi Ahmed (24:43.4) took fifth overall, a performance Breznau attributed to his hard work over the summer. Seniors Steven Stine (25:20.5) and John Petruno (25:35.9) placed 10th and 17th, respectively.
Sophomores Alexander Penski (25:37.1) and Andrew Nolan (25:48.2) finished 19th and 24th, respectively. Senior Ty Buckley (25:57.4) placed 28th overall while junior Justin Ferraro (29:09.1) took 38th place.
While Friday was the first Spartan Invitational in nearly two years, it was also the last for Magness and Beadlescomb as Spartans. Magness said the invitational means a lot to her since she ran in it as far back as middle school, reminding her of the growth she’s exhibited over the years.
She dedicated her final performance at Forest Akers, a win, to her grandpa.
“He got me started in running way back in the day and always pushed me to be my best,” Magness said. “I feel like it really set me up for the success that I’m having now."
Beadlescomb also dedicated his win to former Michigan State track and field/cross country coach Walt Drenth, who retired in November 2020.
“I’d really like to dedicate this to him and everything he’s done for me since I’ve been here,” he said. “The past five years he spent with me before his retirement changed my outlook on running and my outlook on life.”
With two meets in the book and high expectations for both teams, the Spartans are looking forward to continuing their success at the Griak Invitational in Minneapolis on Friday, Sept. 24.
Beadlescomb said the hard work the team has put in is beginning to translate into better times and it bodes well for their chance to finish the season in contention for a championship.
“We’ve been hammering workouts pretty hard,” he said. “I think once we start coming down and getting into our race fitness, then we’re really going to prove even more that we are one of the top teams in the nation.”
