CROSS COUNTRY SWEEPS WALT CRAWFORD OPEN TITLES

Tuesday, September 6 2016 - EIU Walt Crawford Open


Walt Crawford 2016 Photo
 
CHARLESTON, Ill. – Maria Baldwin led a strong performance by the Eastern Illinois women winning her second straight EIU Walt Crawford Open title as the Panthers won both team titles on Friday evening in races contested at the Tom Woodall Panther Trail.
 
Baldwin covered the course with a time of 17:48.92 setting the school course record as she was just four seconds off of her career best time.   Baldwin led a group of Panther runners that finished in four of the top five spots.  EIU scored 17 points as the Panthers won the women's title followed by SIU Edwardsville in second with 48 points, Southern Illinois in third with 76 points and Evansville placing fourth with 92 points.
 
Ruth Garippo placed second with a time of 18:07.60.  Megan Korlak, running unattached, closed in the final 20 yards to finish third with a time of 18:08.88.  Ivy Handley placed fourth with a time of 18:09.19 and Rachel Garippo was fifth with a time of 18:23.43.  Julie James was the Panthers final scored runner placing eighth with a time of 18:41.10.
 
Tyler Yunk was the top Eastern Illinois men's finisher as the Panther men held on the for the team title scoring 33 points.  SIUE was second with 43 points followed by SIU with 55 and Evansville fourth with 98 points.
 
Yunk had a time of 25:32.33 as he was one of four Panthers finishing in the top ten overall in the meet. Chris Orlow placed fifth with a time of 25:44.41.   The race was won by Josh Maier of SIU with a time of 24:56.59.  Keith Meyer of SIUE was second with a time of 25:09.82.
 
EIU's other men's runners scoring points were Paxson Menard in seventh place with a time of 26:07.82,Greg Rogers in eighth with a time of 26:11.97 and Juan Barajas in 11th with a time of 26:44.14. 
 
EIU will return to action next Friday competing in the Illinois State Intercollegiate.