October 27, 2012

Tech runners set 10 personal-best marks at OVC Championships

Tennessee Tech runners established 10 new career-best times Saturday as the Golden Eagles competed at the 2012 Ohio Valley Conference Cross Country Championships. The Tech men placed seventh while the Golden Eagle women finished in 11th place.

OXFORD, Ala. – Tennessee Tech runners established 10 new career-best times Saturday as the Golden Eagles competed at the 2012 Ohio Valley Conference Cross Country Championships. The Tech men placed seventh while the Golden Eagle women finished in 11^th place.

Junior Rebecca Cline paced the Tech women, who wrote four new career-best times. In the men's race, the Tech leader was junior Matthew Bishop, who posted one of six career-best times.

Eastern Kentucky captured first in the women's race with 44 points, putting three runners in the top six. Belmont, which boasted the individual winner in Maria Elbon, was second with 61 points, narrowly edging Eastern Illinois (64). Murray State (94) and Southeast Missouri (149) rounded out the top five.

The balance of the standings included Morehead State (150), Austin Peay (211), Jacksonville State (233), SIU Edwardsville (239), UT Martin (256), Tennessee Tech (305) and Tennessee State (354).

Junior Rebecca Cline was Tech's top finisher, covering the 5K course in 19:18.00, just five seconds shy of her career-best for a 53^rd place showing. Senior Beth Miller was a mere six seconds behind, setting a new career-best and placing 55^th in the time of 19:24.46. Freshman Landry Loving also posted a career-best, finishing 63^rd in 19:54.58, followed by junior Peri Winborne in 20:08.47.

Junior Amelia McCoy was Tech's fifth finisher in 20:40.64, followed by senior Kathryn Forbes in a career-best time of 20:45.07 and junior Meghan O'Donoghue in 20:49.23. Sophomore Kara Webb rounded out Tech's lineup, finishing in 20:55.66.

The EKU men posted a near-perfect score of 17 in winning their 8K race and another conference championship. Eastern Illinois was a distant second with 70 points, while Southeast Missouri (76) was third, Morehead State (102) fourth and Belmont (115) fifth.

SIU Edwardsville (208) placed sixth, while Tennessee Tech (213) came in one point better than Jacksonville State (214). UT Martin (250), Austin Peay (272), Murray State (289) and Tennessee State (366) completed the scoring.

Soufiane Bouchikhi of EKU was the individual winner, racing around the course in 24:01.75.

Golden Eagle junior Matthew Bishop led the way for coach Tony Cox's team, finishing 35^th overall with a career-best effort of 26:19.43. Classmate Adam McLeod finished four places back in 39^th, also recording a career-best time with a 26:24.56 showing.

Sophomore Sterling Smith placed 42^nd, posting a time of 26:31.02 for the team's third career-best time of the race, while senior Mike Mahan was 45^th in a career-best run of 26:39.73.

Finishing fifth on the team, senior Daniel Francis placed 52^nd with a time of 26:58.38. Sophmore Charlie Jordan ran a time of 28:49.02 to place 68^th, while senior Kolbe Andrzejewski was 70th in the time of 28:51.87. The final runner for Tech was sophomore Matt Pennycuff, who completed the run in 30:51.91. The times for Francis, Jordan and Andrzejewski were also career-best numbers.