EMPORIA STATE CROSS COUNTRY TO HOST PAPA JOHNS INVITATIONAL

Emporia State Cross Country
hosts Papa John's Invitational
Emporia Municipal Golf Course • Emporia, Kan.
Friday, Sept. 23, 2016
Women's 5K at 6:00 p.m. • Men's 8K at 6:40 p.m.
UP NEXT: FHSU Tiger Open • Oct. 8 • 10:00 a.m.
Sand Plum Nature Trail • Victoria, Kan.
 
COMING HOME
Emporia State will host their only home cross country meet of the season, the Papa John's Invitational at the Emporia Municipal Golf Course located five miles south of Emporia. There are 22 schools as well as several unattached athletes entered for a field of nearly 330 competitors.
 
SAND PLUM INVITE RECAP
Brian Newkirk placed second to lead the Emporia State men to a second place finish in the team standings at the Sand Plum Invite hosted by Ft. Hays State in Victoria, Kan. on Thursday. Emily Schoendfeld placed third for the Hornet women who placed fourth as a team.
Newkirk ran 15:27.53 over the five kilometer course. He was ten seconds behind the winner, Troy Wineinger of Ft. Hays State and 15 seconds in front of the third place runner. Aaron Taylor placed 12th, Thomas LaRoche 14th and Cole Bosley 15th for the Hornets.
The Emporia State women were without two of their top runners due to class conflicts and finished fourth in the field. Schoenfeld ran 18:43.49 over the five kilometers to place third while Christina Wankum placed ninth.
 
THE COACHES
Steven Blocker is in his sixth year as the head coach for the Emporia State track and field/cross country programs. He served as an assistant with the Hornets since 2009 working primarily with the sprinters, jumpers and multi-event athletes. He has coached 39 All-Americans and 21 MIAA Champions as head coach after producing 14 All-Americans, six MIAA Champions and an NCAA Division II National Champion as an assistant.
Eric Wellman is in his sixth year in charge of the cross country program for the Hornets. He has coached seven All-MIAA performers in cross country as well as 11 MIAA champions and 39 all-conference performers in track and field.
 
FIRST TIME FOR EVERYTHING
This will be the first time Emporia State has hosted a collegiate cross country meet at the Emporia Municipal Golf Course. For the previous 25 years the Hornets have hosted a meet at Jones Park in northwest Emporia. Recent additions to Jones Park for the PDGA World Championships of disc golf have caused the Jones Park course to not meet NCAA requirements.
The cross country course at the "Muni" will take place on both the front and back nine of the golf course. Both the start and finish lines will be located beyond the driving range on the front nine of the golf course.
 
A LOOK AT THE HORNETS
Junior Brian Newkirk has stepped into the leadership role for the Hornet men this season and has been the top finisher in both races this season. Sophomore Aaron Taylor placed second for Emporia State at the Sand Plum Invite hosted by Ft. Hays State after being the sixth runner for the Hornets at the Terry Masterson Twilight in Hutchinson. Junior Thomas LaRoche was the second finisher for Emporia State at the Masterson Twilight and was third at the Sand Plum Invite. Sophomore Cole Bosley was the third finisher for the Hornets in Hutchinson and fourth at Hays. Sophomores Gabe Sams and Grant Noll have rounded out the Hornet scoring in the first two meets.
As she has for the last two years, senior Emily Schoenfeld has been the top performer for the Emporia State women in both meets this year. She placed second at the Terry Masterson Twilight and third at the Sand Plum Invite. Freshman Christina Wankum was the second runner for Emporia State at each of the first two meets. Junior Mercy Perez was the third runner for the Hornets in Hutchinson, but did not compete in Hays due to a class conflict. Freshman Devyn Smith moved into the third spot at the Sand Plum Invite after running in fourth for the Hornets at the Masterson Twilight. Freshman Nicole Blick has been in the Hornets top five in both meets this year.
 
UP NEXT
Emporia State will return to Victoria, Kan. on Oct. 8 for the FHSU Tiger Open before the MIAA Championships on Oct. 22 hosted by Lindenwood in Elsa, Ill.