Emotions run high at this time of the season for cross country runners.
Conference meets are quickly approaching. The rigors of a long season finally start to take their toll. The academic workload increases significantly.
For Meliza Rodriguez, it was finishing as Ball State's second runner and earning a new career-best 5K time at the Greater Louisville Classic on Sept. 29 that eased the pressure of that workload and helped her reset heading into the most pivotal portion of the season.
"Our last race meant a lot to me." Rodriguez said. "This is a stressful time of year, not only for athletes, but for college students in general with midterms and classes gearing up towards finals.