ISU Redbird Invite
Friday, September 18
10:30 a.m. at Normal, Ill. (Weibring Golf Course)
*Results will be posted after the conclusion of the meet*
Eastern Illinois cross country will return to competition Friday, September 18, traveling to Normal, Illinois, for the ISU Redbird Invite at Weibring Golf Course.
The Panthers enter the meet after a strong opening performance at the EIU Walt Crawford Open on September 4. The EIU women claimed the team title, while the men's squad finished second in the season-opening competition.
On the women's side, Ashlyn Denney led the Panthers with a first-place individual finish, crossing the line in 18:57.0. Chloe Proffitt followed in third at 19:04.5, while Avery Braker finished sixth in 19:15.8. Aly Douglass and Macie Russell rounded out EIU's top five, finishing seventh and eighth.
Braker enters the season as one of the Panthers' key returners after being named to the 2026 Ohio Valley Conference Women's Cross Country Watch List.
The EIU men will be led by senior Cale Smith, who returns after earning Second Team All-OVC honors in 2025. Smith placed 12th at last year's OVC Championship with an 8K time of 24:45.0 and opened the 2026 season with a seventh-place finish at the Walt Crawford Open in 16:26.4.
Jiberil Lesman will also be a runner to watch for the Panthers. The sophomore finished eighth at the Walt Crawford Open with a time of 16:35.0 and was named to the 2026 OVC Men's Cross Country Watch List. Miteku Branch, Eli Crowe and Joel Hayes rounded out EIU's top five runners in the season opener.
Eastern Illinois finished fourth at the 2025 OVC Championship on the men's side and enters the new season looking to build on its returning experience. The Panthers' men's program has also won 11 OVC championships in program history, including four consecutive titles from 2020 through 2023.
The Redbird Invite will provide EIU with an early-season opportunity to test itself against a larger field. Illinois State will host the meet at Weibring Golf Club, with the Redbirds coming off their season-opening appearance at the Fighting Illini Invitational. Illinois State's women's team entered the season ranked ninth in the USTFCCCA Midwest Regional preseason rankings.
Friday's meet will be EIU's second competition of the season and the first road test for both Panther squads.
The Redbird Invite is the next step in a six-meet schedule for Eastern Illinois. Following Friday's competition, the Panthers will compete at the Indiana State Nike XC Town Twilight on October 2 and the Bradley Pink Classic on October 16 before the OVC Championship on October 30. The season concludes at the NCAA Midwest Regional on November 13 in Ames, Iowa.
