BRENTWOOD, Tenn. – In a preseason vote of Ohio Valley Conference head coaches, the Eastern Kentucky University men’s and women’s cross country teams were picked as favorites for the 2010 season. Both teams enter the year seeking to extend the EKU cross country dynasty by winning their fifth consecutive OVC titles.
Last season, the EKU men’s team claimed its 18th OVC championship and fourth in a row while the Colonel women’s program took home its 24th overall title and fourth in a row at the event held at Edwin Warner Park in Nashville.
Long-time EKU head coach
Rick Erdmann won his 39th and 40th OVC Cross Country Coach of the Year awards in the process.
On the men’s side, EKU (81 points, nine first-place votes) was followed by a tie between Southeast Missouri State and Eastern Illinois (68) with Southeast Missouri receiving the other first place vote. The polling was rounded out by Jacksonville State (55), Morehead State (50), Tennessee Tech (34), UT Martin (33), Austin Peay (28), Murray State (21) and Tennessee State (12).
On the women’s side, EKU (81 points, nine first-place votes) was followed by Eastern Illinois (70, 1 first-place vote), Murray State (63), Southeast Missouri (59), Jacksonville State (47), Morehead State (39), Tennessee Tech (29), Austin Peay (28), UT Martin (24) and Tennessee State (10).
The men’s team lost four of its five top finishers from 2009, including Wesley Ruttoh, who won last year’s championship and finished second at the Southeast Region Championships. However, the Colonels return a trio of veterans who ran well at last year’s OVC meet: juniors
Chris Rice (ninth) and
Alex Dreyer (12th) and sophomore
Daniel Jones (13th).
Additionally, and possibly even more significantly, the Colonels return a pair of talented runners who redshirted last season, juniors
Evans Kiptoo and
David Mutuse, and a dynamic freshman,
Soufiane Bouchikhi. Kiptoo finished third at the OVC Cross Country Championships in 2008 and was named All-Southeast Region that year as well. Mutuse won the 3,000-meter steeplechase at the OVC Outdoor Track and Field Championships in the spring and, more recently, defeated nearly 5,000 runners in the Midsummer Night’s 5K in downtown Lexington. Bouchikhi, meanwhile, enrolled at EKU last winter and was promptly named the OVC Track and Field Freshman of the Year after winning three individual conference titles during the track season.
Conversely, the EKU women’s team returns all five of its top finishers from 2009, including last year’s champion and OVC Freshman of the Year,
Picoty Leitich. Leitich became the first freshman to win the individual title since 2002 as she out-distanced the field by over 13 seconds.
Leitich is joined by seniors
Sylvia Bundotich (third), Katherine Pagano (fourth) and
Ashli Joseph (11th) and junior
Danielle Mason (13th), who were all among the top 13 finishers last season and among the top 10 returners this season.
The 2010 OVC Cross Country Championships will be held October 30 in Cookeville, Tenn. with Tennessee Tech University serving as the host.
The Colonels open their 2010 campaign on Saturday, Sept. 4 when they host Marshall in the EKU vs. Marshall Relay at the Wood Chip Trail on campus.
2010 OVC MEN’S CROSS COUNTRY PREDICTED ORDER OF FINISH
(as voted on by the OVC head cross country coaches)
TEAM POINTS
1. Eastern Kentucky (nine first-place votes) 81
2. Southeast Missouri (one) 68
Eastern Illinois 68
4. Jacksonville State 55
5. Morehead State 50
6. Tennessee Tech 34
7. UT Martin 33
8. Austin Peay 28
9. Murray State 21
10. Tennessee State 12
(Teams awarded nine points for a first-place vote, eight for second, etc.)
Top 10 Men’s Cross Country Returnees
(Based on Finish at 2009 OVC Championship)
Runner Yr. 2009 Finish (Time)
George Kiplagat, Jacksonville State Sr. 6th (26:14.18)
Jason Lumpkin, Southeast Missouri Sr. 8th (26:44.40)
Chris Rice, Eastern Kentucky Jr. 9th (26:50.16)
James Bowens, Morehead State Sr. 11th (26:54.17)
Alex Dreyer, Eastern Kentucky Jr. 12th (26:55.30)
Daniel Jones, Eastern Kentucky So. 13th (27:01.01)
Matt Feldhake, Eastern Illinois Jr. 14th (27:06.13)
Sam Taylor, Tennessee Tech Sr. 16th (27:17.61)
Tyler Mullen, Southeast Missouri So. 17th (27:23.27)
Josh Wakeman, Morehead State Sr. 18th (27:25.73)
2010 OVC WOMEN’S CROSS COUNTRY PREDICTED ORDER OF FINISH
(as voted on by the OVC head cross country coaches)
TEAM POINTS
1. Eastern Kentucky (nine first-place votes) 81
2. Eastern Illinois (one) 70
3. Murray State 63
4. Southeast Missouri 59
5. Jacksonville State 47
6. Morehead State 39
7. Tennessee Tech 29
8. Austin Peay 28
9. UT Martin 24
10. Tennessee State 10
(Teams awarded nine points for a first-place vote, eight for second, etc.)
Top 10 Women’s Cross Country Returnees
(Based on Finish at 2009 OVC Championship)
Runner Yr. 2009 Finish (Time)
Picoty Leitich, Eastern Kentucky So. 1st (19:29.05)
Sylvia Bundotich, Eastern Kentucky Sr. 3rd (19:57.30)
Katherine Pagano, Eastern Kentucky Sr. 4th (20:02.97)
Katelyn Jones, Murray State Sr. 5th (20:11.46)
Olivia Klaus, Eastern Illinois So. 8th (20:26.88)
Monica Noble, Southeast Missouri Sr. 9th (20:28.72)
Ashley Stovall, Jacksonville State So. 10th (20:29.25)
Ashli Joseph, Eastern Kentucky Sr. 11th (20:30.60)
Danielle Mason, Eastern Kentucky Jr. 13th (20:35.77)
Kayla Crusham, Murray State Jr. 14th (20:38.57)
