Freshman earns All-American honor

On Nov. 20, freshman Jordan Kyle took on a tall order and literally ran away with it. \nFaced with the pressure not just to compete in the NCAA Men's Cross Country Championships, but also to carry his team's legacy alone, Kyle hit the mark and then some.\nWith a time of 31:39.3, the freshman took 33rd place at the LaVern Gibson Champion Cross Country Course in Terre Haute. Though the accomplishment itself was enough of a reward, Kyle got an added bonus; his first NCAA All-American honor.\n"This is really good for him, and he's definitely the hardest-working guy on the team," assistant coach Stephen Haas said.\nThe top 35 runners in the race garnered All-American honors.\nThe milestone is marked as IU's 15th All-American men's cross country nod. Not since Bob Kennedy in 1988 has a freshman earned the honor, and Kyle is only the third freshman in a string of impressive athletes to be given the title.\n"I thought a lot (of runners) went out hard in the first part of the race," Kyle said. "Instead, I positioned out my energy for the whole thing. I ran both 5Ks with nearly identical times, and I think I ran a smart race."\nAlthough the course was muddy, it was smooth sailing for the freshman. Kyle said it definitely played into his favor, citing he is able to compete better in bad conditions.\n"He did a great job of moving up throughout the race and showed a lot of poise for a freshman," coach Robert Chapman said in a statement. "It was a very muddy race and with what he accomplished, he might be one of the toughest athletes I've ever coached. His toughness was the key component."\nHaas said Kyle's season will enhance recruiting for the Hoosiers for the next couple of years, and his strides have taken him further than anyone could have ever anticipated.\n"He's shown what he can do," Haas said. "And he's someone we'll be able to count on for the next four years"