Wichita State head cross country coach Kirk Hunter called the first collegiate race for many new Shockers a “practice meet to get better for the end of the year.”
On Friday night in Hutchinson’s Terry Masterson Twilight Classic, the Wichita State women’s team finished first in a field of 14 schools, mostly regional community colleges. The men’s team went home with bronze.
“Our women took care of business, and they did exactly what they were supposed to,” Hunter said. “Very happy with them.”
Hunter didn’t take many experienced runners to compete at the event, instead allowing the younger Shockers to get their feet wet against collegiate competition. Of Wichita State’s 13 runners, nine were racing their first meet for the team.
Women’s race
Freshman Faith Ekart took home WSU’s top finish, placing third in the women’s three-mile run at 18:35.71.
“I wasn’t really pressuring myself to do a certain place or time, just kind of running to see how I felt,” Ekart said. “So I was really happy with how I ended up and how I finished.”
In her first collegiate race, Ekart said she enjoyed chasing other runners after spending her time in high school pacing the field.
“It was kind of fun to have people that actually can go fast and people that I can try to keep up with,” Ekart said.
Sophomore Isabelle Hartnett, one of the few returners who ran the meet, finished just behind Ekart in fourth at 18:38.18. Hunter said he wanted Hartnett to be the “leader of the group” for the women.
“Her goal was just to pull them, pull them, pull them, pull them, pull them,” Hunter said. “And she did a really good job with that.”
Men’s race
On the men’s side, six Wichita State runners finished between 12th and 19th place. Those tight placings were by design.
Hunter said he wanted the young Shockers to avoid wearing themselves out early by trying to keep pace with the faster runners, instead building speed and consistent pace as a pack.
“I wasn’t concerned about team placing necessarily,” Hunter said. “I was more concerned about us running as a team because for us to do well at the end of the season, we have to learn to run well as a team.”
Redshirt freshman Ian Schram made his first uniformed collegiate race. He set the pace for the men’s team with a 20:45.00 finish, earning him 12th place. He said the mindset of the meet being just a practice workout calmed his nerves — even though it was difficult to fight the impulse to keep up with the faster runners.
“Going into it, knowing you’re running for them, not just for yourself, kind of helps propel you forward,” Schram said. “You’re not going to give up as easily when you’re running for other people.”
The majority of returning Wichita State runners will make their season debut at the JK Gold Classic, the team’s home meet. The race will be at the Clapp Cross Country Course on Saturday, Sept. 7, with the men’s 6k beginning at 8 a.m and women’s at 9 a.m.
