CROSS COUNTRY FOURTH AT OVC CHAMPIONSHIPS

The EIU women competed at the 5K distance with Eastern Kentucky winning the team championship.  The Colonels were followed by Southeast Missouri, Belmont and EIU.   Ruth Garippo and Maria Baldwinboth earned second team All-OVC honors.

On the men's side Eastern Kentucky won the team championship at the 8K distance followed by Belmont, Morehead State and EIU.  Paxson Menard earned first team All-OVC honors while Riley McInerney earned second team All-OVC honors.

Menard had the highest finish for any Panthers runner finishing in seventh place in the men's race with a time of 25:05.5.   The top seven finish earned Menard first team All-OVC honors.  McInerney was just behind Menard finishing in eighth place with a time of 25:08.2 to earn second team honors. 

Juan Barajas was the third finisher for the EIU men placing 25th with a time of 26:11.5.  Chris Orlow was 32nd and Tyler Yunk 33rd to round out the EIU scored runners.  Orlow's time was 26:34.1.  Yunk's time was 26:34.9.

On the women's side Ruth Garippo finished ninth to earn second team All-OVC honors with a time of 17:38.3.  Baldwin placed 12th to earn second team All-OVC honors with a time of 17:43.1.

Ivy Handley, Rachel Garippo and Sadie Elliott rounded out the scored EIU runners in the event.  Handley placed 16th with a time of 17:45.6.  Garippo was 27th with a time of 18:12.9.  Elliott was 48th with a time of 18:48.0

The final three runners competing for the EIU men were Marcus Skinner, Robby Prescott and Greg Rogers.  Skinner was 49th with a time of 27:19.4.  Prescott was 59th with a time of 27:58.2.  Rogers is 69th with a time of 28:50.4.

The final three runners competing for the EIU women were Emily Brelsfoard, Julie James and Jocelyne Mendoza.  Brelsfoard was 53rd with a time of 18:53.0.  James was 54th with a time of 18:54.4.  Mendoza was 56th with a time of 18:56.2.