Cross Country Heads To OVC Championships

This will be the 51st OVC men's championship and the 34th OVC women's championship.  It will be the largest meet in conference history with 12 schools competing as SIU Edwardsville is now eligible for post-season and new member Belmont joined the OVC this summer

The women's race begins at 9:15 a.m. running the 5K distance.  The men's race is scheduled for a 10 a.m. start running the 8K distance.

By placing four runners in the Top 11 last season Eastern Illinois claimed its second overall OVC Championship and first since the 2001 season. The Panthers return four of its top five finishers from a season ago including senior Olivia Klaus who is looking to lock up her fourth-straight All-OVC selection this season. Klaus was eighth as a freshman in 2009, fourth in 2010 and fifth a season ago; this season she owns the third-best 6K time (21:35.00) time in the OVC, a mark that stands as the EIU program record. Senior Erika Ramos was the Panthers top finisher at the meet last year, placing fourth overall, while senior Britney Whitehead holds some of the top 5K and 6K times in the league in 2012.  Klaus, Ramos and Whitehead all earned All-OVC honors last year.

Eastern Illinois has finished as runner-up at the OVC Championship in two of the last three years and enters the meet ranked 15th in the Midwest Region. Sophomore Bryce Bastingfinished 11th at the OVC Championship as a freshman and was named OVC Runner of the Week on Sept. 18 after his performance at the Illinois Intercollegiate. In his last race he ran the fifth-fastest 8K time in the OVC this season (24:23.00) at the Bradley Classic. Junior college transfer Pablo Ramirez has been one of the Panthers most consistent runners this season.  Basting and Danny Delaney both earned second team All-OVC honors last season.