• Complete Regional Coverage by USTFCCCA | Complete List of All-Region Honorees: Men | Women
Ohio Valley Conference teams competed in three NCAA Cross Country Regionals on Friday. Overall nine individuals earned All-Region honors (up from eight a season ago).
The Eastern Kentucky, who have been hampered by injuries all season long, finished fourth in the tough NCAA Southeast Region behind NC State, host Virginia and Furman. The Colonels will now await the NCAA to announce its 13 at-large selections on Saturday. FLOTrack.com projects the Colonels will be the last at-large team in the field. If EKU is selected it will mark the sixth-consecutive year the team will have qualified for the National Championship, the second-longest streak in Conference history (behind eight-straight from ETSU from 1970-77).
Whether the EKU team qualifies or not, sophomore
Erick Rotich, the two-time OVC Athlete of the Year, will get an at-large berth for finishing fifth in the field with a time of 29:02.8. Rotich was 90th at the NCAA Championship a year ago.
Eastern Kentucky sophomore
Charlotte Imer will also earn at at-large berth to the NCAA Championship after finishing fifth on the women's side; the OVC Athlete of the Year finishing the 6K course in 20:30.7. Overall she is the seventh different OVC female athlete to earn a bid to the OVC Championship. The EKU women's team was seventh overall.
The National Championship is scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 26 in Terre Haute, Indiana.
Rotich was one of three EKU runners to earn All-Region honors by finishing in the Top 25 overall; he was joined by senior
Ambrose Maritim who was 11th overall (29:26.7) and senior
Amos Kosgey who was 16th (29:46.7).
Morehead State freshman
Farah Abdulkarim also earned All-Region honors at the Southeast Regional, finishing 18th overall with a time of 29:51.8. That marked the fastest 10K time in MSU history.
In the South Regional held in Tallahassee, Tennessee Tech freshman
Gilbert Boit, who earned both OVC Freshman of the Year and Athlete of the Championship honors after winning the OVC Championship, earned All-Region honors after finishing 11th overall with a 10K time of 30:45.1. His performance helped the Golden Eagles to an 11th place team finish, the highest finish in team history.
SIUE senior
Keith Meyer also earned All-Region honors after placing 22nd at the Midwest Region in Iowa City, Iowa. Meyer was 22nd overall with a time of 30:50.4.
Imer was one of two EKU women who earned All-Region honors as she was joined by junior
Luisa Boschan who was 25th with a time of 21:07.5.
UT Martin senior
Ann Asipan, the two-time defending OVC Championship winner, was 19th overall with a time of 20:48.1. Her performance helped the Skyhawks to a program record 12th place finish.
2016 All-Region Selections
Erick Rotich, Eastern Kentucky
Ambrose Maritim, Eastern Kentucky
Amos Kosgey, Eastern Kentucky
Farah Abdulkarim, Morehead State
Gilbert Boit, Tennessee Tech
Keith Meyer, SIUE
Charlotte Imer, Eastern Kentucky
Luisa Boschan, Eastern Kentucky
Ann Asipan, UT Martin
Southeast Region Meet (Earlysville, Va.)
Men's Teams
4. Eastern Kentucky (Erick Rotich, 29:02.8 - 5th)
14. Morehead State (Farah Abdulkarim, 29:51.8 - 18th)
24. Murray State (Gavin Galanes, 31:54.9 - 112th)
Women's Teams
7. Eastern Kentucky (Charlotte Imer, 20:30.7 - 5th)
20. Murray State (Vallery Korir, 21:34.1 - 38th)
27. Morehead State (Caitlin Cunningham, 23:00.8 - 139th)
South Region Meet (Tallahassee, Fla.)
Men's Teams
11. Tennessee Tech (Gilbert Boit, 30:45.1 - 11th)
12. Belmont (Matthew Edwards, 32:06.8 - 50th)
NTS. UT Martin (Ryan Ford, 32:40.4 - 79th)
NTS. Austin Peay (Wesley Gray, 32:55.2 - 93rd)
Women's Teams
12. UT Martin (Ann Asipan, 20:48.1 - 19th)
17. Belmont (Hannah Denton, 21:42.1 - 64th)
21. Tennessee Tech (Micayla Rennick, 21:20.7 - 42nd)
Midwest Region Meet (Iowa City, Iowa)
Men's Teams
16. Eastern Illinois (Riley McInerney, 31:02.5 - 34th)
22. SIUE (Keith Meyer, 30:50.4 - 22nd)
NTS. Southeast Missouri (James Kosbar, 33:38.3 - 168th)
Women's Teams
16. Southeast Missouri (Megan Parks, 21:14.4 - 45th)
20. Eastern Illinois (Ruth Garippo, 21:31.8 - 65th)
24. SIUE (Haley Miller, 21:52.9 - 95th)