Cross Country 2nd, 3rd In OVC Poll
Wednesday, August 21 2013 - EIU Walt Crawford OpenPanthers open season Sept. 6 with Walt Crawford Meet
BRENTWOOD, Tenn. – In a preseason vote of head cross country coaches in the Ohio Valley Conference the Eastern Kentucky men's and women's teams were picked as the favorites for the 2013 season. Eastern Illinois was picked to finish second on the men's side and third on the women's side.
The 2013 Ohio Valley Conference Cross Country Championships will be held November 2 at the Eagle Trace Golf Course in Morehead, Ky. with Morehead State University serving as the host. The first regular season action of the 2013 season occurs on August 30.
On the men's side Eastern Kentucky (121 points, 11 first-place votes) was followed by Eastern Illinois (105, 1 first-place vote), Belmont (97), Southeast Missouri (95), Morehead State (87), SIUE (67), Jacksonville State (50) and Tennessee Tech (50), UT Martin (40), Austin Peay (39), Murray State (30) and Tennessee State (11).
On the women's side Eastern Kentucky (121 points, 11 first-place votes) was followed Belmont (102 points, 1 first-place vote), Eastern Illinois (101), Murray State (93), Southeast Missouri (82), Morehead State (68), Austin Peay (62), SIUE (53), Jacksonville State (45), UT Martin (31), Tennessee Tech (23) and Tennessee State (11).
Last season the EKU men's team claimed its 21st OVC championship and seventh in a row while the EKU women's program took home its 26th all-time title at the event held in Oxford, Ala.
MEN'S PREVIEW
Eastern Kentucky junior Soufiane Bouchikhi returns as the three-time defending OVC Champion and is looking to become only the fourth runner to win four-straight OVC Championships. Bouchikhi was 40th at the NCAA Championship a season ago while teammate Wade Meddles was 38th as the duo led EKU to a 24th-place finish nationally. Both earned All-American honors marking the first time EKU had produced multiple cross country All-Americans in the same season. Overall EKU returns the top four finishers and six of the top eight finishers from last year's OVC Championship meet.
Eastern Illinois, who has finished as the runner-up in each of the past two years, returns senior Pablo Ramirez and junior Bryce Basting who were fifth and sixth at the OVC Championship a year ago.
Belmont, who was fifth overall in its first OVC Championship in 2012, returns its top finisher from last season as junior David Everett returns; Everett was 15th a season ago.
Morehead State, who has finished fourth at the OVC Championship each of the past three years, returns its top six runners from a season ago including second-team All-OVC selections Zach Elliott (11th) and Gary Monroe (13th). They are looking to become the first host to win the Championship since EKU won in 2011.
2013 OVC MEN'S CROSS COUNTRY PREDICTED ORDER OF FINISH
(as voted on by the OVC head cross country coaches)
TEAM POINTS
1. Eastern Kentucky (11 first-place votes) ... 121
2. Eastern Illinois (1) ... 105
3. Belmont ... 97
4. Southeast Missouri ... 95
5. Morehead State ... 87
6. SIUE ... 67
7. Jacksonville State ... 50
Tennessee Tech ... 50
9. UT Martin ... 40
10. Austin Peay ... 39
11. Murray State ... 30
12. Tennessee State ... 11
(Teams awarded 11 points for a first-place vote, 10 for second, etc.)
WOMEN'S PREVIEW
Last year Eastern Kentucky had runners four through six in the final standings to claim the OVC Championship and top first-year member Belmont by 11 points in the team race. The title was the sixth in seven years for the Colonels who have won 26 of the 34 all-time championships. EKU returns the sixth-place finisher from a year ago, Ann Eason, who was the 2012 OVC Female Runner of the Year.
Belmont nearly claimed the OVC Championship in its first season as a member of the Conference. Despite losing last year's OVC individual champion, the Bruins do return sophomore Hannah Wittman who was 14th a season ago.
Eastern Illinois, who claimed the 2011 OVC Championship, will be looking to replace a veteran group of runners who have graduated, including four who finished in the Top 20 at the OVC Championship a season ago. The Panthers do regain the services of Gaby Duenas-Delaney who was first team All-OVC as a sophomore and a second team All-OVC selection as a junior in 2011 when EIU won the team title.
2013 OVC WOMEN'S CROSS COUNTRY PREDICTED ORDER OF FINISH
(as voted on by the OVC head cross country coaches)
TEAM POINTS
1. Eastern Kentucky (11 first-place votes) ... 121
2. Belmont (1) ... 102
3. Eastern Illinois ... 101
4. Murray State... 93
5. Southeast Missouri ... 82
6. Morehead State ... 68
7. Austin Peay ... 62
8. SIUE ... 53
9. Jacksonville State ... 45
10. UT Martin ... 31
11. Tennessee Tech ... 23
12. Tennessee State ... 11
(Teams awarded 11 points for a first-place vote, 10 for second, etc.)
The 2013 Ohio Valley Conference Cross Country Championships will be held November 2 at the Eagle Trace Golf Course in Morehead, Ky. with Morehead State University serving as the host. The first regular season action of the 2013 season occurs on August 30.
On the men's side Eastern Kentucky (121 points, 11 first-place votes) was followed by Eastern Illinois (105, 1 first-place vote), Belmont (97), Southeast Missouri (95), Morehead State (87), SIUE (67), Jacksonville State (50) and Tennessee Tech (50), UT Martin (40), Austin Peay (39), Murray State (30) and Tennessee State (11).
On the women's side Eastern Kentucky (121 points, 11 first-place votes) was followed Belmont (102 points, 1 first-place vote), Eastern Illinois (101), Murray State (93), Southeast Missouri (82), Morehead State (68), Austin Peay (62), SIUE (53), Jacksonville State (45), UT Martin (31), Tennessee Tech (23) and Tennessee State (11).
Last season the EKU men's team claimed its 21st OVC championship and seventh in a row while the EKU women's program took home its 26th all-time title at the event held in Oxford, Ala.
MEN'S PREVIEW
Eastern Kentucky junior Soufiane Bouchikhi returns as the three-time defending OVC Champion and is looking to become only the fourth runner to win four-straight OVC Championships. Bouchikhi was 40th at the NCAA Championship a season ago while teammate Wade Meddles was 38th as the duo led EKU to a 24th-place finish nationally. Both earned All-American honors marking the first time EKU had produced multiple cross country All-Americans in the same season. Overall EKU returns the top four finishers and six of the top eight finishers from last year's OVC Championship meet.
Eastern Illinois, who has finished as the runner-up in each of the past two years, returns senior Pablo Ramirez and junior Bryce Basting who were fifth and sixth at the OVC Championship a year ago.
Belmont, who was fifth overall in its first OVC Championship in 2012, returns its top finisher from last season as junior David Everett returns; Everett was 15th a season ago.
Morehead State, who has finished fourth at the OVC Championship each of the past three years, returns its top six runners from a season ago including second-team All-OVC selections Zach Elliott (11th) and Gary Monroe (13th). They are looking to become the first host to win the Championship since EKU won in 2011.
2013 OVC MEN'S CROSS COUNTRY PREDICTED ORDER OF FINISH
(as voted on by the OVC head cross country coaches)
TEAM POINTS
1. Eastern Kentucky (11 first-place votes) ... 121
2. Eastern Illinois (1) ... 105
3. Belmont ... 97
4. Southeast Missouri ... 95
5. Morehead State ... 87
6. SIUE ... 67
7. Jacksonville State ... 50
Tennessee Tech ... 50
9. UT Martin ... 40
10. Austin Peay ... 39
11. Murray State ... 30
12. Tennessee State ... 11
(Teams awarded 11 points for a first-place vote, 10 for second, etc.)
WOMEN'S PREVIEW
Last year Eastern Kentucky had runners four through six in the final standings to claim the OVC Championship and top first-year member Belmont by 11 points in the team race. The title was the sixth in seven years for the Colonels who have won 26 of the 34 all-time championships. EKU returns the sixth-place finisher from a year ago, Ann Eason, who was the 2012 OVC Female Runner of the Year.
Belmont nearly claimed the OVC Championship in its first season as a member of the Conference. Despite losing last year's OVC individual champion, the Bruins do return sophomore Hannah Wittman who was 14th a season ago.
Eastern Illinois, who claimed the 2011 OVC Championship, will be looking to replace a veteran group of runners who have graduated, including four who finished in the Top 20 at the OVC Championship a season ago. The Panthers do regain the services of Gaby Duenas-Delaney who was first team All-OVC as a sophomore and a second team All-OVC selection as a junior in 2011 when EIU won the team title.
2013 OVC WOMEN'S CROSS COUNTRY PREDICTED ORDER OF FINISH
(as voted on by the OVC head cross country coaches)
TEAM POINTS
1. Eastern Kentucky (11 first-place votes) ... 121
2. Belmont (1) ... 102
3. Eastern Illinois ... 101
4. Murray State... 93
5. Southeast Missouri ... 82
6. Morehead State ... 68
7. Austin Peay ... 62
8. SIUE ... 53
9. Jacksonville State ... 45
10. UT Martin ... 31
11. Tennessee Tech ... 23
12. Tennessee State ... 11
(Teams awarded 11 points for a first-place vote, 10 for second, etc.)