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High aspirations for the Braves as Hawkeye Invite marks start of new cross-country season

Bradley runner Sophia McDonell in action. Courtesy Bradley Athletics.

If seasons were like races, then last season was surely a sprint for Bradley’s men’s and women’s cross-country teams. But with a slow return to normalcy, this season will provide much more of a cross-country-esque feeling for the reigning conference runner-ups.

After both the men and women finished second in the Missouri Valley Conference in March, all eyes are once again on the top spot in the Valley. Head coach Darren Gauson, who enters his seventh season with the Braves, is already eyeing a prosperous season.

“We’ll probably be a bubble team on the national level, so keeping people healthy, [having] consistency and just competing well when the bigger meets come around [will accomplish that],” Gauson said.

It should come as no surprise that Bradley is one of the top teams in the Valley on both sides of the program yet again. 

The men, who had won five-straight MVC titles before last season’s second-place finish, are picked to take the top spot back in the MVC’s pre-season poll; while the women, who own four titles in the last eight seasons, were picked to finish second behind Loyola.

“When you win five in a row, it’s almost an expectation, so this younger group has an opportunity to start another streak like our group did in 2015,” Gauson said.

The women, who carry top-tier power at the top level, will be led by graduate McKenzie Altmayer, junior Sophia McDonnell and sophomore Wilma Nielsen, among others.

“Every girl has really come in strong,” McDonnell said. “Practices have gone well and we’ve just been focused on hitting those times.” 

Additionally, one can expect the men, who provide a steady balance between experienced veterans and anticipated underclassmen, to set the bar early this season. Braves fans should keep an eye on seniors Matt Aho and Alec Danner along with the likes of sophomores Max Dieterich and Billy Hauentein.

“I think the experience we gained last year will really help and our depth is really good so I think we’re set up well,” Aho said.

Both teams will be making their way to Iowa City, Iowa to participate in the Hawkeye Invite today that will likely test the Braves early. Both the men and the women will get an early look at a couple MVC squads such as Drake, Northern Iowa, Illinois State and Loyola.

Despite wanting to show how good this team is as a whole, Gauson said “easing” into the season is the likely path for them to take.

“We aren’t going to go full strength at the Hawkeye Invite, but it’ll give some of our younger runners a chance to compete early on,” Gauson said.

For when Braves fans can expect to see the team at full strength, look towards the Gans Creek Classic on Oct. 1.

“October 1 is when we’ll really know how good both the men and women are,” Gauson said. “We’ll go to Missouri and compete against Texas A&M, Arizona, Kansas, Kansas State, Drake, and we’ll be very aggressive there.”

The quest for another MVC title, among even higher accolades for the Braves, begins this afternoon at the Hawkeye Invite.

 

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