Vikings to Compete at Friendship Invitational
    Event Begins at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday
    Jordan Hoile

    Jordan Hoile

    Sept. 15, 2009

    Contact: Greg Murphy

    Complete Release in PDF Format Get Acrobat Reader

    MEET 3

    Friendship Invitational
    Date: Saturday, Sept. 19, 2009
    Time: 10:00 a.m.
    Site: Cedarville, Ohio

    THE STARTING LINE: Cleveland State is in action for the third straight weekend when the Vikings travel to Cedarville, Ohio, to compete in the Friendship Invitational. The race will begin at 10:00 a.m. at the Elvin R. King Cross Country Course.

    LAST TIME OUT: The Vikings placed 10th of 13 teams at the Mel Brodt Invitational in Bowling Green, Ohio, on Saturday (Sept. 12). Brittany Elmlinger ran a 19:29, just one second off her personal best, to place 37th, while Allison Craine was 60th in 19:59.

    THE HEAD COACH: Now in his fifth season at the helm of the cross country program, Joe Jaketic has continued to make steady progress in building the team. A 1972 graduate of Cleveland State, Jaketic guided the Vikings to a ninth place showing at the league championship in 2007 and an eighth place showing in 2006. It was the first time since the 1996-97 MCC Championships that CSU finished ahead of a league foe in back-to-back seasons. Jaketic, who was the equipment manager at CSU for 37 years before retiring last winter, has consistently had his team near the top of the Horizon League in GPA and has won the Academic Progress Rate Award in 2008 and 2009. Jaketic is a 1972 graduate of CSU.

    SUPER SOPH: Sophomore Brittany Elmlinger placed 37th at the Mel Brodt Invitational on Saturday, finishing in 19:29, just one second off her personal best time. Elmlinger has been CSU's top finisher in the last three events, dating to the 2008 Horizon League Championship, and has been the Vikings first or second finisher in each of her 11 career events.

    GOOD IMPROVEMENT: Senior Jordan Hoile ran a 21:31 on Saturday in Bowling Green, knocking more than two minutes off her time from the season opening event (23:32) at the Bill Sudeck Classic. Hoile's time on Saturday was the fourth best of her CSU career.

    CRAINE GETTING BACK ON TRACK: Sophomore Allison Craine continues to work back into competition shape after missing the entire 2008 season with a stress fracture in her leg. Craine, who was CSU's top finisher in all eight events in 2007, was the Vikings second finisher on Saturday at Bowling Green, running a 19:59. In 10 career events, Craine has posted sub 20-minute times on six occasions.

    UP, UP, AND AWAY: Prior to a late addition to the schedule, all six of CSU's regular season events were scheduled to take place in Ohio. However, head coach Joe Jaketic surprised the squad by scheduling the Vikings to compete at the Walt Disney World Classic in Orlando, Fla. on Oct. 2. It will mark the first time that CSU will fly to a competition and will be the furthest the team has ever traveled to an event.

    UP NEXT: The Vikings will return to action next Saturday, Sept. 26, when CSU competes at the Ohio University Invitational, beginning at 10:30 a.m.