Panthers hosting Walt Crawford Open featuring ten teams
Eastern Illinois men's and women's cross country will open the season on Friday evening hosting the EIU Walt Crawford Open on the newly renamed Tom Woodall Panther Trail on the Charleston campus. The women's meet will begin at 4:45 pm following by the men's race at 5:30 pm.
The meet will include NCAA Division I teams from Southern Illinois, SIU Edwardsville, IPFW and host EIU. In addition the meet will include teams from Kaskaskia College, Lincoln College, Missouri Valley College, Danville Area CC, Bradley Running Club and Illinois XC/Track Club.
Both EIU teams were picked to finish second in the Ohio Valley Conference preseason poll released last week. The Panther women return All-OVC performers Maria Baldwin, Emily Brelsfoard and Victoria Quarton. Junior Riley McInerney is the men's top returner from last year's OVC Championships after he placed 15th in the meet.
The EIU women won last year's Walt Crawford team title as Baldwin, Brelsfoard and Quarton finished second through fourth. Panther runners Rachel Garippo and Julie James placed sixth and seventh to round out EIU's first place scoring. The event was won by IPFW sophomore Brittany Beard.
On the men's side EIU placed second behind Southern Illinois. Paxson Menard was the Panthers top finisher with an eighth place finish. McInerney was 11th and Brock Ramos placed 14th. Robert Murphy of Vincennes University was last year's winner.
The meet will include NCAA Division I teams from Southern Illinois, SIU Edwardsville, IPFW and host EIU. In addition the meet will include teams from Kaskaskia College, Lincoln College, Missouri Valley College, Danville Area CC, Bradley Running Club and Illinois XC/Track Club.
Both EIU teams were picked to finish second in the Ohio Valley Conference preseason poll released last week. The Panther women return All-OVC performers Maria Baldwin, Emily Brelsfoard and Victoria Quarton. Junior Riley McInerney is the men's top returner from last year's OVC Championships after he placed 15th in the meet.
The EIU women won last year's Walt Crawford team title as Baldwin, Brelsfoard and Quarton finished second through fourth. Panther runners Rachel Garippo and Julie James placed sixth and seventh to round out EIU's first place scoring. The event was won by IPFW sophomore Brittany Beard.
On the men's side EIU placed second behind Southern Illinois. Paxson Menard was the Panthers top finisher with an eighth place finish. McInerney was 11th and Brock Ramos placed 14th. Robert Murphy of Vincennes University was last year's winner.