The men’s and women’s cross country teams finished third and fourth respectively, both placing last, at the We Fly Championship Preview hosted by Ball State in Muncie, Ind. Saturday afternoon. 

The men competed in the 8k, while the women ran the 6k. The Flashes did not compete at this race last season. 

“Our expectations were to rip off the bandaid of the 6k and 8k,” coach Laura Rybka said. “We did that.” 

The team, however, did not expect the warm conditions of the late afternoon race. 

“We normally work out around 6 a.m., and the impact of racing in almost 90-degree heat was underestimated,” Rybka said. “We took some precautions but not enough, and I take ownership for that.”

Despite the heat, both teams still finished strong.

On the men’s side, senior Baidy Ba was a top performer finishing in fifth place with a time of 25:25.4. Graduate student Ethan Yost was the next Kent State finisher with a time of 27:08.2 landing him in 14th place. 

Sophomores Rylan Winkler and Isaac Perez also had top-20 finishes. Winkler placed 16th with a time of 27:21.3, and Perez placed 18th with a time of 27:47.3. 

“Perez fought well and had his highest place finish on the team,” Rybka said. 

This was Perez’s personal best time in the 8k. Last season, his personal record was 28:24.9. 

The women’s team had two runners finish in the top 20. Junior Nicole Kuehner placed 18th with a time of 24:17.3, and senior Sydney Miller finished in 19th place with a time of  24:27.5.

“Kuehner was able to push harder than ever before, which we’ve been working on,” Rybka said. “The women also did a great job of pack running, and finishing the last mile strong.”

The Flashes’ goal is to continue to build their fitness for the Mid-American Conference and regional meets later in the season. 

“We will be moving into workouts that are more race-focused, as well as fitness-focused to specifically prepare the team for the 6k and 8k,” Rybka said. “This will help us work on race mindset and execution, too.”

The Flashes’ next meet is Oct. 5 at the Paul Short Run hosted by Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pa.

As the team works through early season hiccups, Rybka is excited for what’s ahead. 

“We are coming off of the highest volume training block nearly everyone on the team has had,” Rybka said. “This race was not exactly what we hoped for, but that doesn’t change my belief in either team based off the data I have seen in training and workouts.”

Kailyn Tibolla is a reporter. Contact her at [email protected].