SIUE men’s, women’s cross country schedules announced
The fourth annual John Flamer Invite on Southern Illinois University Edwardsville’s home course highlights the 2015 men’s and women’s cross country schedules, as announced by interim head coach Scott Block.
The season kicks off Sept. 4 with the Eastern Illinois University Walt Crawford Open in Charleston, Illinois. The Cougars then travel to Normal, Illinois, on Sept. 11 for the Country Financial Invite hosted by Illinois State.
SIUE’s home meet, the John Flamer Invite, will be held on SIUE’s home course Oct. 3. The men’s 8K begins at 10 a.m. with the women’s 6K following at 10:45 a.m.
The regular season concludes with the Bradley Pink Classic on Oct. 16.
The Ohio Valley Conference Championships are hosted this year by Murray State Oct. 31 in Murray, Kentucky.
Former head coach Eileen McAllister announced last month that she will step down as the program’s leader.
“I am grateful for the wonderful memories and experiences afforded to me the past 10 years as a Cougar,” said McAllister at the time.
McAllister informed her teams that the time had come for her to focus on family. She plans to join her husband, Brett Halter, who currently resides in Columbia, Missouri.
McAllister has held numerous roles in her 10 seasons at SIUE. In 2004, she was named the head coach of the cross country program as well as the University's first strength and conditioning coach. Her roles with the cross country and track and field programs varied over the past decade until the 2013-14 season when she took over as the head coach for both track and field and cross country.
The Cougars flourished under McAllister's direction.
The SIUE cross country program saw continued improvement under McAllister’s leadership culminating with a third place OVC finish by the men in 2014. The first two-time All-OVC performer for the Cougars in men's cross country came last season. Clint Kliem placed 10th at the 2013 OVC Championships and improved to eighth in 2014. He broke the 10K school record last fall in 31 minutes, 34 seconds, at the NCAA Division I Regional Championships in Peoria. Three men's cross country Cougars earned All-OVC honors in 2014. Joining Kliem were fellow juniors Keith Meyer and Nick Moore, who finished 13th and 14th.
SIUE Director of Athletics Brad Hewitt also announced that Block, an alumnus of the program and current assistant coach, will take over as the interim head coach for both cross country and track and field effective immediately.
This story was originally published July 21, 2015 at 12:58 PM with the headline "SIUE men’s, women’s cross country schedules announced."