Janet Jesang Paces The Field To Lead WKU Women To Sun Belt Cross Country Title

Janet Jesang Paces The Field To Lead WKU Women To Sun Belt Cross
Country Title

 Bowling Green, Ky.  —  The Western Kentucky University women's cross
country team successfully defended their home course Saturday, as they
captured the 13th Sun Belt Conference Cross Country title in school
history at Kereiakes Park.  This year's title marked the second in a
row for the Lady Toppers, and the sixth straight for the women's
program, as they have won every Sun Belt meet since the 2006 indoor
track and field championships.
 Janet Jesang paced all athletes and earned SBC Performer of the Meet
honors, taking the individual crown in a 5,000-meter time of 17:28.29.
Joining Jesang on the all-league team for 2007 was newcomer Eimear
O'Brien and Natalie Leeper, who finished seventh and ninth with times
of 18:15.53 and 18:29.50, respectively.  In fact, all five WKU scorers
finished in the top-20, as Amanda Adams and Ashley Moore placed 17th
and 18th, respectively.
 “I am proud of our team and the way we ran today,” said WKU head
coach Dr. Curtiss Long. “We have a special group of athletes at Western
Kentucky and I am grateful to them and especially our seniors."
 Long, who has been at the helm of the WKU track and field and cross
country programs for 27 years, earned the 31st coach-of-the-year
accolade of his career, as he was honored similarly for the 2007 Lady
Topper performance.
 The WKU men finished fourth in the team scoring behind champion
Arkansas-Little Rock, runner-up North Texas, and third-place Middle
Tennessee.  The Hilltoppers were led by the fifth-place and all-SBC
effort of Bethuel Kiplagat, who covered the 5-mile course in 25:32.95.
Joining him on the all-Sun Belt team from WKU was Cosmas Bor, who
finished seventh in 25:58.03.  Rounding out the scorers for the WKU men
were Mark Bowers in 20th, Travis Keown in 23rd, and Drew Hawkins 26th.
 The teams will take one week off before returning to E.P. "Tom"
Sawyer Park in Louisville, Ky., November 10th for the NCAA Southeast
Regional.