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Results

CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. – Eastern Illinois men's cross country put together an impressive performance on Monday afternoon as the Panthers won the 2020 Ohio Valley Conference Championship edging Eastern Kentucky for the title.
 
EKU had won 14 straight OVC men's cross country championships as the Panthers snapped that streak to win their eighth; first since 2005.   Head coach Erin Howarth was named the OVC Men's Coach of the Year, her second straight honor after winning OVC Women's Coach of the Year in 2019.  
 
Richie Jacobo was named the OVC Men's Freshman of the Year as EIU's top five finishers in the race all collected All-OVC honors.  Jacobo was a second team finisher in 11th place with an 8K time of 27:59.5.
 
Former OVC Freshman of the Year Dustin Hatfield led the Panthers charge finishing in fifth place to earn first team All-OVC with a time of 27:16.0.  He was followed by Franky Romano in sixth at 27:28.6 as he earned first team All-OVC.
 
Jaime Marcos, Marcus Skinner and Jacobo all rounded out the EIU scored runners, with all three earning second team All-OVC.  Marcos was eighth at 27:43.1 while Skinner was tenth with a time of 27:57.6.
 
Adam Swanson and David Thompson rounded out the seven EIU runners in the meet.  Swanson was 20th with a time of 28:38.7.  Thompson was 30th with a time of 29:09.3
 
EIU won the event with 40 points followed by EKU in second with 44 points.  Belmont was third with 59 followed by UT Martin and Morehead State in the top five.   Ahmed Jaziri of EKU won individual medalist honors with a time of 26:40.3.
 
In the women's championship race the EIU women had four All-OVC finishers as the women placed third in the conference championship.   Eastern Kentucky won the championship with 46 points just beating Belmont in second with 48 points.  EIU was third with 54 points followed by Southeast Missouri and Murray State in the top five.  Laura Taborda of EKU won individual honors with a time of 19:19.
 
Kate Bushue and Maggie McPherson paced each other in the 5K race as they crossed in third and fourth to both earn first team All-OVC honors.  Bushue had a time of 19:34 in third place with McPherson running a 19:38 to place fourth.  Avani Flanagan picked up her third All-OVC honor of her career placing sixth with a time of 19:47 to earn first team honors. 
 
Freshman Mackenzie Aldridge had a strong race in her first championship appearance finishing 11th to earn second team All-OVC.  She had a time of 20:02.  Kylie Decker was the final scored runner for EIU placing 30th with a time of 21:04.
 
Chloe Irish was the final EIU runner in the championship as Katie Springer was a morning scratch from the event.  Irish had a time of 21:11 to finish 33rd.