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MOREHEAD, Ky. – The Eastern Kentucky men's and women's teams ran to victories at the 2013 Ohio Valley Conference Cross Country Championship on Saturday at Eagle Trace Golf Course in Morehead, Ky.
It marked the eighth-straight championship (and 22nd overall) for the Eastern Kentucky men and the second-straight and 27th overall title for the women.
In the men's race Eastern Kentucky, ranked No. 17 nationally, had the top four finishers and six of the top nine overall for a point total of 16, which was 58 points better than second place Belmont (74). Morehead State finished third (81) and was followed by Eastern Illinois (107), Southeast Missouri (122), SIUE (153), UT Martin (226), Murray State (251), Austin Peay and Jacksonville State (258 apiece), Tennessee Tech (278 and Tennessee State (377).
The second-place finish for Belmont was a four-spot improvement over where the squad finished a year ago, in what was its first-ever OVC Championship. The host Eagles placed third after finishing fourth in each of the past three years. It marked the highest finish for Morehead State since placing third in 2008.
In the women’s race, despite not having its top runner Ann Eason (who sat out with an injury), Eastern Kentucky powered to a victory with four of the top seven and five of the top 11 runners overall to a team point total of 29. That was 42 points ahead of second place Belmont (71), who placed second overall for the second-straight season. Eastern Illinois was third (100) and followed by Southeast Missouri (104), Murray State (115), Austin Peay (173), Jacksonville State (182), SIUE (196), Morehead State (204), Tennessee Tech (293), UT Martin (322) and Tennessee State (364).
The sixth-place finish for Austin Peay equaled its best finish over the last 14 years, since finishing fifth in 1999 (the team was also sixth in 2000, 2002 and 2010).
In the individual competition Eastern Kentucky junior
Soufiane Bouchikhi claimed his fourth-straight OVC Championship by covering the 8K course in 24:14.06. The All-American became just the fourth runner to win four-straight OVC titles, joining three other EKU runners: Grant Colehour (1965-68), John Nganga (1991-94) and Jacob Korir (2004-07). Overall his victory marks the 10th-straight year that a runner from Eastern Kentucky has won the OVC Championship. Bouchikhi finished 16 seconds ahead of his teammate
Ambrose Maritim, the OVC Freshman of the Year, who was second with a time of 24:30.66. EKU’s
Ben Toroitich was third (24:35.97) while teammate
Wade Meddles was fourth (24:37.32). The first non-EKU runner was Belmont senior
Matt Miller who placed fifth with a time of 24:49.27. EKU’s
Erwin Leysen was sixth (24:56.34) while Southeast Missouri’s
Craig Munie finished seventh (24:59.01) to round out the All-OVC first-team.
With Eason, the OVC Female Runner of the Year, out of its lineup, it was
Una Britton who took home top honors, finishing the 5K course in 17:42.61, which was seven seconds ahead of Southeast Missouri’s
Rebekah Lawson (17:49.13). It marked the fourth time in the last five years that an EKU runner took home first place honors. The junior Lawson earned her third-straight All-OVC first-team honors after finishing sixth as a freshman and seventh a season ago. Belmont’s
Hannah Wittman was third (17:50.28) while Eastern Kentucky’s
Ashley Svec placed fourth (18:00.96). Austin Peay senior
Xiamar Richards improved on a 10th place finish each of the past two years by placing fifth overall in a time of 18:07.95. The All-OVC first-team was rounded out by a pair of EKU runners in
Anna Reddin (18:13.87) and
Cecile Chevillard (18:19.08).
Eastern Kentucky's
Rick Erdmann was named both OVC Men's and Women’s Coach of the Year. It marked the 20th time overall and eighth year in a row he has been bestowed the men’s honor and the 27th time (and seventh time in the last eight years) he has won the women’s honor. In total he has 47 combined Coach of the Year honors for his career.
Men's Awards
Co-Athletes of the Year: Soufiane Bouchikhi, Eastern Kentucky
Athlete of the Championship: Soufiane Bouchikhi, Eastern Kentucky
Coach of the Year: Rick Erdmann, Eastern Kentucky
Freshman of the Year: Ambrose Maritim, Eastern Kentucky
All-OVC First Team
Soufiane Bouchikhi, Eastern Kentucky
Ambrose Maritim, Eastern Kentucky
Ben Toroitich, Eastern Kentucky
Wade Meddles, Eastern Kentucky
Matt Miller, Belmont
Erwin Leysen, Eastern Kentucky
Craig Munie, Southeast Missouri
All-OVC Second Team
Jesse Moreno, Morehead State
Sean Vandermosten, Eastern Kentucky
Clint Kliem, SIUE
Zach Elliott, Morehead State
Riley McInerney, Eastern Illinois
Marcus Bridger-Wilkinson, Belmont
David Everett, Belmont
Women's Awards
Athlete of the Year: Ann Eason, Eastern Kentucky
Athlete of the Championship: Una Britton, Eastern Kentucky
Coach of the Year: Rick Erdmann, Eastern Kentucky
Freshman of the Year: Molly Foster, Belmont
All-OVC First Team
Una Britton, Eastern Kentucky
Rebekah Lawson, Southeast Missouri
Hannah Wittman, Belmont
Ashley Svec, Eastern Kentucky
Xiamar Richards, Austin Peay
Anna Reddin, Eastern Kentucky
Cecile Chevillard, Eastern Kentucky
All-OVC Second Team
Molly Foster, Belmont
Ericka Stam, Jacksonville State
Victoria Quarton, Eastern Illinois
Hannah Miller, Eastern Kentucky
Maggie Harahan, Belmont
Madison Zeitz, Eastern Kentucky
Emma Gilmore, Murray State