Redbirds XC Gear Up for the Bradley Pink Classic

Image Courtesy of Redbird Athletics 

NORMAL, Ill. — Illinois State cross country will prepare for the upcoming annual “Bradley Pink Classic” race, which takes place every October at Bradley University. Both the men’s and women’s teams will represent Illinois State.

The Redbirds are coming off their last race in Missouri, the Gans Creek Classic. The men finished 9th, and the women finished 15th. Since then, the team has been preparing for the Bradley Pink Classic.

“We’ve had three weeks between our last race at Mizzou and this upcoming race at Pre-nats. With such a long training block, we’ve been able to throw a lot of quality training at our athletes, and none of them have backed down from anything,” Jake Gillium, assistant coach for Illinois State Cross Country, said. “There is a special energy at practice this year on both sides where no matter the weather, the time of day, or the session volume, they are excited to be there and put in the work.”

Senior Mathis Chavand, runner for the men’s team, has already earned two “Runner of the Week” awards in the Missouri Valley Conference. He holds two school records and is ready to go for next week’s race.

“First and foremost, Mathis is a team player. He was a member of our last XC conference championship team in 2021, and often talks about the strength of that team and what it meant to run for something more than himself,” said Gillium. “On an individual level, Mathis is no doubt a talented athlete, but his success is no accident, and it’s his mind that has taken him to this level. In training, he is a model of consistency. Every day of every year that I have been around him, he has willingly put in the work without excuses far beyond the 20-hour weeks we are allotted for practice.”

The Redbirds are ready for next week’s race at Bradley University.

“We’ve touched on some race specific work to sharpen up, found a comfortable training volume to feel ready to go on race day, and built the confidence and resilience to race with anyone. This is the fun part of cross country, and we’re focused on being excited for the opportunity to show off all of the hard work we’ve put in.”