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PHILADELPHIA, Penn. – Members of the Eastern Kentucky University track and field team competed against an ultra-talented field at the prestigious Penn Relays this weekend. Junior Katherine Pagano set a new school record in the women’s 10,000 meters with a time of 36:03.00 while freshman Soufiane Bouchikhi recorded a personal-best in the men’s 5,000 meters, placing second with a time of 14:01.71.

Pagano’s school record time of 36:03.00 was not listed on the official results because she was a late entry, though it should be posted sometime next week. The time is seven seconds faster than Sarah Blossom’s previous school record of 36:13.15, set in 1999. Pagano was not even on the school’s top-five list for the 10,000 meters entering this season.

Bouchikhi nearly won the men’s 5,000 meters, losing to William and Mary’s Lewis Woodard at the finish line by just 0.2 seconds. The freshman from Belgium, however, did defeat several talented runners, including Florida’s Justin Taylor, Indiana’s Zachary Mayhew, Louisville’s Matt Bruce and Arkansas’ Eric Fernandez.

Bouchikhi’s time is nearly a second faster than the 14:02.61 that he ran at the Stanford Relays on March 26. It is the second fastest 5,000 meters time in EKU history behind Jacob Korir’s 13:29.12.

Sophomore David Mutuse also recorded a personal-best in the 5,000 meters, finishing 17th with a time of 14:40.71.

The women’s shuttle hurdle relay team (juniors Tashana Johnson and Jasmyn Norris, sophomore Lutisha Bowen and freshman DanHeisha Harding) – which was ranked first in the country heading into this weekend – placed fifth with a time of 57.14. Texas A&M’s squad set a new collegiate record in the event with a time of 52.50.

The women’s 4x100 meter relay team (Bowen, Harding, sophomore Diamond Benjamin and freshman Jazzmin Jeter) placed 37th on Thursday with a time of 46.91, despite a faulty handoff.

The women’s 4x200 meter relay team (Benjamin, Bowen, Jeter and freshman Bianca Forbes) placed 17th out of 58 teams on Friday with a time of 1:37.84, beating teams from schools such as Miami (Fla.), Rutgers, Maryland and Wake Forest.

"Overall, it was one of the women's team's best ever performances at the Penn Relays," assistant coach Tim Moore said.

The EKU track and field team will compete at the OVC Outdoor Championships from April 30-May 1 in Cookeville, Tenn.