Official Men's Results
Official Women's Results

Photo Gallery (courtesy of Sam Jordan)

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – The Eastern Kentucky University men’s and women’s cross country teams won their fourth consecutive Ohio Valley Conference championships on Saturday at the Vaughn’s Gap Course at Edwin Warner Park. Junior Wesley Ruttoh won the men’s 8K race in a time of 25:39.24 while freshman Picoty Leitich won the women’s 5K race in a time of 19:29.05.

Following the meet, Ruttoh picked up where Jacob Korir (2004-07) and Joseph Maina (2008) left off by being named the OVC Male Cross Country Athlete of the Year while Leitich was named the OVC Female Cross Country Athlete and Freshman of the Year. Despite the women’s team winning the last four conference titles, Leitch is the first Female Cross Country Athlete of the Year from EKU since 2003.

Head Coach Rick Erdmann, meanwhile, continued his impressive legacy at EKU, earning his 39th and 40th OVC Cross Country Coach of the Year awards.

“I’m pleased for the kids,” Erdmann said. “They competed today – all of them – and that’s what this is really all about.”

On a rainy and muddy course on which Erdmann said runners were falling and sliding in the muck, the men’s squad delivered a remarkable team performance, finishing all eight of its runners in the top-13 of the 67-runner race.

Jacksonville State freshman David Nilsson – a four-time OVC Runner of the Week this season – finished second behind Ruttoh in 25:54.82; however, a trio of Colonel seniors – Stanley Mugo (26:03.90), Elkana Kurgat (26:08.61) and Chris Rengifo (26:08.81) – finished third-fifth and within five seconds of each other to put EKU in position to win.

Sophomore Chris Rice (26:50.16) and senior Josephat Melly (26:51.80) were the Colonels’ fifth and sixth finishers, placing ninth and 10th overall, respectively.

Sophomore Alex Dreyer (26:55.30) and freshman Daniel Jones (27:01.01) finished 12th and 13th to round out EKU’s eight finishers.

Every runner for EKU earned All-OVC honors as Ruttoh, Mugo, Kurgat and Rengifo were named first team All-OVC and Rice, Melly, Dreyer and Jones were given second team All-OVC honors.

EKU finished the meet with 22 points, defeating its nearest competitor Eastern Illinois (89 points) by 67 points. Southeast Missouri State (98 points), Jacksonville State (122 points), Tennessee Tech (130 points), Morehead State (144 points), UT Martin (161 points), Austin Peay (211 points), Murray State (236 points) and Tennessee State (300 points) rounded out the men’s standings.

On the women’s side, Leitich’s individual title led the Colonels over Murray State, who was picked to win the conference by OVC head coaches before the season began

Leitich is the first female freshman to win the OVC Championships since Lindsey Zeiler in 2002.

Following Murray State’s Taylor Crawford (19:42.54) in second place, juniors Sylvia Bundotich (19:57.30) and Katherine Pagano (20:02.97) finished third and fourth overall.

However, it was junior Ashli Joseph (20:30.60) and sophomore Danielle Mason (20:35.77) that more than likely won it for the women’s team, finishing 11th and 13th overall.

“Ashli Joseph and Danielle Mason were, without a doubt, the key to the women’s win,” Erdmann said.

Junior Lydia Kosgei (20:46.56) was the Colonels’ sixth finisher in 16th place overall while seniors Maria Doerger (23rd place/21:16.58) and Sondra Nieporte (34th place/21:44.65) rounded out EKU’s eight competitors.

Erdmann noted that the entire women’s field was misdirected at some point during the race and ended up running somewhere between a 5K and a 6K, thus leading to the high times.

Leitich, Bundotich and Pagano were named first team All-OVC following the meet while Joseph and Mason were given second team All-OVC honors.

EKU scored 32 points in the women’s race, defeating Murray State (63 points) by 31 points. Eastern Illinois (65 points), Southeast Missouri (104 points), Jacksonville State (145 points), Morehead State (166 points), UT Martin (187 points), Tennessee Tech (187 points), Austin Peay (239 points) and Tennessee State (304 points) rounded out the women’s standings.

“There is a lot of pressure on us at the conference meets, and I think the kids really like that,” Erdmann said. “They thrive on the pressure.”

Both teams will compete at the Southeast Region Championships on Saturday, Nov. 14 in Louisville.