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RICHMOND, Ky. – The Eastern Kentucky University men’s and women’s cross country teams find themselves in a familiar position to start the 2010 season: ranked in the Southeast Region. The men’s team, which finished seventh in the region last year, has been tabbed 15th to begin this year, while the women’s team, which finished 10th last year, has been tabbed ninth this year.
Both teams were picked as overwhelming OVC favorites this year.
The EKU women’s squad, which returns all five of its top finishers from last year’s OVC meet (sophomore
Picoty Leitich, seniors
Sylvia Bundotich,
Kat Pagano and
Ashli Joseph and junior
Danielle Mason) and introduces a slew of talented freshmen, is the only women’s squad in the OVC to begin the season regionally-ranked.
The Colonel women are ranked ahead of such notable teams as Richmond (10th), Virginia Tech (11th) and in-state rival Western Kentucky (13th).
The EKU men’s squad is down eight spots from its final 2009 ranking presumably because the Colonels lost four of their top five finishers from last year’s OVC meet, including individual OVC champion and Southeast Region runner-up Wesley Ruttoh. However, the Colonels’ roster will be bolstered by the return of two talented juniors who redshirted last year,
Evans Kiptoo and
David Mutuse, and a high-impact freshman who won three OVC titles during the track and field season,
Soufiane Bouchikhi.
The Colonel men are ranked just behind such notable teams as Clemson (14th) and in-state rival Kentucky (10th). Louisville begins the season ranked sixth in the Southeast Region.
The Jacksonville State men’s team is the only other OVC team to begin the season regionally-ranked as the Gamecocks are tabbed 13th in the South Region.
The regional rankings are constructed by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) and are a reflection of a team's strengths entering the year based on returning and new runners on each squad as selected by a representative in each region.
The Southeast Region is one of the largest of the nine regions in the nation, consisting of all NCAA Division I schools from the states of Kentucky, Virginia, North Carolina and South Carolina. The region also features all Atlantic Coast Conference schools.
The cross country season kicks off this Saturday, Sept. 4, as the Colonels host Marshall in the EKU vs. Marshall Relays at the Wood Chip Trail at 10:30 a.m.
