Mark Maloney on Kentucky sports

Soufiane Bouchikhi

Eastern Kentucky University snared its fifth consecutive Ohio Valley Conference championship in both men’s and women’s cross country Saturday.

Meanwhile, Louisville’s men placed second and the women took eighth in the Big East Conference meet.

EKU’s men placed 1-through-5 to score a perfect 15 points, only the fourth time that has happened in conference history. EKU also pulled off sweeps in 1965 and 1989, and Western Kentucky did so in 1980. The Colonels, who now have 19 OVC men’s crowns, were followed by Southeast Missouri with 40 points.

EKU’s women upended Eastern Illinois 20-45.

Competing at the South Hills Golf Course in Cookeville, Tenn., the Colonels also had both individual winners.

Freshman Soufiane Bouchikhi won the men’s 8,000-meter race in 24 minutes, 56.73 seconds.

Kat Pagano

Senior Kat Pagano prevailed in the women’s 5,000-meter event, timed in 18:23.00.

“Today was less about individuals and more about teams,” said Coach Rick Erdmann, who won his 25th Women’s Coach of the Year award and his 17th Men’s Coach of the Year. “Both teams ran together and competed together, and I’m really proud of that. Hopefully this will give us some momentum heading into regionals.”

The NCAA Southeast Regionals are set for Nov. 13 at Louisville.

Bouchikhi followed in the footsteps of former Colonels Jacob Korir (2004-07), Joseph Maina (2008) and Wesley Ruttoh (2009) by being named OVC Male Cross Country Athlete of the Year and OVC Male Freshman of the Year. Bouchikhi is the first freshman to win the event since Korir in 2004, and his time is the fastest in the event since 2007.

Pagano, already a two-time top 10 finisher in the OVCs, won her first title. She placed fifth in 2008 and fourth last year. She is the second straight Colonel to win the event and OVC Athlete of the Year honors, as Picoty Leitich won last year as a freshman.

EKU’s Hannah Miller, 12th in 19:10.40, earned OVC Freshman of the Year honors.

After Bouchikhi, EKU’s men had sophomore Victor Kemboi in 25:19.63, junior Evans Kiptoo (25:29.16), junior David Mutuse (25:35.22) and freshman Ole Hesselbjerg (25:43.19). SEMO’s Jason Lumpkin finished less than a second after Hesselbjerg.

EKU’s three non-scoring runners all placed in the top 14. Sophomore Daniel Jones came in 10th, with juniors Musa Kimuli and Chris Rice going 12-14. All eight Colonels earned all-conference honors.

After Eastern and SEMO came Eastern Illinois (95), Morehead State (108), Austin Peay (145), UT Martin (162), Tennessee Tech (189), Jacksonville State (211), Murray State (260) and Tennessee State (310).

EKU’s women won their 25th OVC title, sweeping the first three places and six of the top 12.

After Pagano came sophomore Jackline Barkechir (18:40.72) and Leitich (18:46.74). Senior Sylvia Bundotich placed sixth (18:58.83) and junior Danielle Mason took eighth (19:02.79).  Then came Miller, followed by freshman Natalie Field in 19th (19:41.30) and senior Ashli Joseph in 23rd (19:52.41).

After EKU and Eastern Illinois in the team standings, it was Murray in third (111), trailed by Jacksonville State (119), SEMO (158), Tech and Peay (181 each), Martin (183), Morehead (207) and Tennessee State (300).

All-OVC men

First team – Bouchikhi, Kemboi, Kiptoo, Mutuse, Hesselbjerg, Lumpkin, Brad LaRocque (Eastern Ill.)
Second team – Chris Loseman and Nate Shipley (SEMO), Jones, Enock Langat (Peay), Kimuli, Dustin Davis (SEMO), Rice.

All-OVC women

First team – Pagano, Barkechir, Leitich, Olivia Klaus (Eastern Ill.), Ericka Starn (Jacksonville), Bundotich, Gabriela Duenas (Eastern Ill.).
Second team – Mason, Brittany Arthur (Eastern Ill.), Katelyn Jones (Murray), Megan Gingerich (Eastern Ill.), Miller, Kasey Owens (SEMO), Erika Ramos (Eastern Ill.).

Eaton leads Louisville men

In the Big East Championships, held at Jamesville (N.Y.) Beach Park, Syracuse edged the U of L men 59-63. Villanova won the women’s title with 26 points, while Louisville rang up 272.

Michael Eaton, a senior, led Louisville’s men by placing second with an 8K time of 25:05.4. Lee Carey of Providence won in 24:56.8.

U of L’s Matt Hughes placed ninth (25:25.3). Tyler Byrne, 15th overall, was the top freshman in the race. Completing U of L’s scorers were Luke Lovelace and Gordon Dooley, 18th and 19th. The gap between Eaton and Dooley was a mere 53 seconds.

“I’m really proud of the men’s efforts today,” Cardinals Coach Brice Allen said. “They executed the game plan to a ‘T.’ We had the No. 1 senior and the No. 1 freshman in the conference.

“Michael ran the race today like a fifth-year senior. He was patient in the middle of the pack at the 800-meter mark; he moved into 15th place at the mile; by three miles, he moved into the top five; and with a mile to go he walked everyone down except the leader. That’s what you come to expect from a fifth-year senior.”

Emily Borsare led U of L’s women, placing 24th with a time of 21:55.1 for 6,000 meters. Kim Grieshaber was 43rd, Monica Hernandez 48th, Ariel Briggs 78th and Cassie Martin 79th.

“Emily ran a great race today,” Allen said. “She closed well and moved up 10 positions. To cap her cross country career, she ran well for the Cardinals.

“We’re looking forward to the regional race and the move on to nationals.”

The Louisville Sports Commission will host 97 colleges and universities from 20 states Saturday in the ninth annual Greater Louisville Classic, the largest college meet in the South.

More than 2,000 athletes are expected to compete at E.P. Tom Sawyer Park. The field includes 29 men’s teams and 23 women’s squads that are ranked in either the NAIA, NCAA (Divisions I, II, III) or National Junior College Athletic Association polls. NCAA Division II teams will be returning to Louisville for the national championships, Dec. 4.

U of L, ranked No. 7 in the NCAA Southeast Region, is the defending men’s team champion. Expected challengers to the Cardinals include Eastern Kentucky (No. 6 in the Southeast Region) and Colorado School of Mines (No. 3 in NCAA II). Others include the 4-7-8 teams in NCAA Division II – Grand Valley State, Southern Indiana and Queens (N.C.); 5-6 teams in NCAA I South Region — Georgia and Ole Miss; the No. 9 team in the NCAA I Midwest, Southern Illinois; and No. 11 in the Southeast, Davidson.

Men’s individual leaders include Mississippi’s Barnabas Kirui (fourth in 2009 NCAA, first in 2007 NCAA steeplechase), Queens’ Michael Crouch (D-II 1,500-meter champion) and Daniel Kirwa (D-II cross country runner-up), U of L’s Matt Hughes (D-I steeplechase champion) and Michael Eaton (2008 D-I track all-American), and EKU freshman sensation Bouchikhi Soufiane.

Leading women’s teams include the Nos. 3-4 teams in the NCAA South Region — Vanderbilt and Georgia — and the Nos. 2-4 Division II squads — Grand Valley State and Shippensburg.

Individuals to watch include Shippensburg’s Neely Spence (D-II 2008 cross country runner-up and two-time 5,000-meter champion), Western Washington’s Sarah Porter (D-II 2009 cross country runner-up and 2010 10,000-meter runner-up), Western Kentucky’s Marion Kandie, Kentucky’s Chelsea Oswald, U of L’s Kim Grieshaber and EKU’s Picoty Leitich.

Competition will be split into three divisions.  The schedule — men’s gold race, 9:30 a.m.; women’s gold, 10:15; men’s blue, 11; women’s blue, 11:45; men’s silver, 12:30 p.m.; women’s silver, 1:15 p.m.

After the collegiate races, more than 1,200 high school and middle school athletes from Kentucky, Indiana, Tennessee and Ohio will compete, starting at 2:30 p.m.

A tip of the hat to Steve Fohl at Eastern Kentucky University for this press release …

BRENTWOOD, Tenn. – In a pre-season 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.

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 (9 first-place votes)     81

  2.   Southeast Missouri (1)                               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 9 points for a first-place vote, 8 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 (9 first-place votes)     81

  2.   Eastern Illinois (1)                                       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 9 points for a first-place vote, 8 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)