Redbirds XC Starts Hot in 2025
Written by Jason Zaehler on September 15, 2025
NORMAL, Ill – Illinois State Cross Country wrapped up their first two races of the season with both men’s and women’s teams taking fourth at the Fighting Illini Invitational in Champaign Friday the 29th, and the Redbird Invite September 12th, where the Redbird Men finished 2nd as a team in the 8K, and women took home first in their 6K.
Illinois State welcomed six teams to the annual Redbird Invite. The invite included Missouri Valley Conference member Northern Iowa, Wartburg, Southeastern Missouri State, Illinois Wesleyan, Western Illinois and Chicago State.
Nora Brady, a junior transfer from Heartland Community College, was a 2024 NJCAA DII national champion, and the 2024 NJCAA DII Women’s Athlete of the year, took sixth overall at the meet in the women’s 4k at the U of I and lead the Redbirds to the 4th place finish. Freshman Quinn Davis lead the men finishing 13th and being one of five Redbirds to make their collegiate debuts.
In the Redbird Invite, the story was the same for the women with Nora Brady Leading the pack coming in second overall, and being closely followed by Collen Ziebart who took third, Maggie Reed who took fourth, and Pauline Schedler who took sixth. On the men’s side, South African junior Clyde de Wall lead the birds finishing fifth with teammates Julian Baker and Blake Oleson finishing ninth and tenth respectively.
Back-to-back impressive showing by the Redbirds in their first two meets of the year are hopefully glimpses of what is to come for the rest of the season as the women’s team looks to claim the MVC championship for the first time since 2012. The men will be looking to do the same as they look to take back hold of the MVC men’s cross-country ranking and bring home their first championship trophy since 2021.
In other exciting news, Illinois State announced Austin West to be joined the Track and field assistant coaching lineup on August 29. West will be the assistant coach focused on Jumps and combined events heading into the winter and spring track and field seasons. Coach W replaces Jake Jacoby and comes from the University of Nebraska after developing several high-level NCAA qualifiers. West was a three-time first team all American at the university of Iowa in the decathlon and the 400 hurdles.
The Redbirds will travel to Colombia Missouri on September 26th for the Gans Creek Classic.
For all things Redbird Cross Country, stay tuned to wznd.com
