Baldwin, McInerney Win EIU At Walt Crawford

CHARLESTON, Ill. – Eastern Illinois men's and women's cross country opened the season on a high note as both teams won the Walt Crawford Open team titles and two individuals earned top medalist honors Friday evening at the Tom Woodall Panther Trail.
 
On the women's side Maria Baldwin, the OVC Freshman of the Year last season, opened her sophomore campaign taking top honors with a 5K time of 18:03.48.  The win was 16 seconds ahead of runner-up Krista Menghini of Southern Illinois.  Baldwin became the first EIU runner to win the Panthers home meet since Angie Simone took top honors in 2002.
 
On the men's side Riley McInerney placed first as the men's distance was shortened to four miles based on high heat and humidity during the race.  McInerney and teammate Paxson Menard finished 1,2, to lead EIU to the team title.  McInerney posted a time of 20:05.06 with Menard crossing at 20:08.98.  McInerney became the second EIU runner to win the Panthers home meet in the last three years after Mike Hesslau was the gold medalist in 2013.
 
The EIU women placed first with 21 points followed by OVC member SIU Edwardsville with 69 points.  IPFW was third with 71 and Southern Illinois was fourth among NCAA Division I schools with 74 points. 
 
The Panther men scored 30 points to place first with SIUE second with 41 points, Southern Illinois third with 55 and IPFW was fourth with 107 points.
 
EIU returns to action next Friday night at the Illinois State meet.
 
The remaining EIU women's scored runners in the meet were Ivy Handley in third with a time of 18:42.0, Emily Brelsfoard in fourth with a time of 18:45.89, Amy Yeoman in sixth with a time of 18:55.60 and Victoria Quarton in seventh with a time of 19:03.73.   Quincy Knolhoff and Ruth Garippo were the sixth and seventh EIU runners to cross the finish line.  Knolhoff was eighth at 19:11.17 and Garippo was 12th with a time of 19:18.04.
 
The remaining EIU men's scored runners in the meet were Greg Rogers in seventh with a time of 20:50.21, Tyler Yunkin ninth with a time of 20:56.24 and Chris Orlow in 11th with a time of 21:05.36.   Michael Brown and Myles Foor were the sixth and seventh EIU runners to cross.  Brown was 17th with a time of 21:49.66 while Foor was 20th with a time of 22:08.63.