Cross Country Set For Loaded Louisville Meet

Thursday, October 2 2014 - Greater Louisville Classic

Men to face 12 regionally ranked teams, women to compete against 15

Eastern Illinois men's and women's cross country return to action this weekend for their third meet of the season. The Panthers will travel to the highly competitive Greater Louisville Classic on Saturday where they will compete in the Gold Level race. Start time for the men's race is 8:30 a.m. (Central) followed by the women's race at 9:15 a.m. (Central).

The men's field includes 12 teams that are currently ranked in the top 15 in their respective region. Two top 25 programs are included in that number with No. 11 Wisconsin and No. 23 Eastern Kentucky.

The EIU men have been led this season by a pair of sophomores in Paxson Menard and Riley McInerney.   Menard has posted two top ten finishes at the EIU Walt Crawford and the Bradley Intercollegiate.   His best 8K time this season is 25:06.2 at the Bradley meet.   McInerney was seventh in the Panthers last meet at Bradley after an 11th place finish at the EIU Walt Crawford.

Head Coach Erin Howarth's women's team will face 15 teams that ranked in the top 15 in their region in a field of 35 schools.   Included in that number are three nationally ranked teams with No. 16 Wisconsin, No. 23 West Virginia and No. 28 Virginia Tech.

The Panthers have been led by four runners early in the season with freshman Maria Baldwin the top finisher for EIU at both the EIU Walt Crawford and Bradley Intercollegiate. She was second at the EIU meet and third at the Bradley meet.   Victoria Quarton has a pair of top five finishes while Emily Brelsfoard has been fourth and sixth in the opening two meets.   Julie James has been the Panthers number four runner in the first two meets placing in the top ten in both events.

Following the Louisville Meet, EIU will return to action on Oct. 17 at the Bradley Classic in Peoria.