Golden Eagles deliver pair of fourth-place finishes at OVC Championships

By Mike Lehman, TTU Sports Information

MOREHEAD, Ky. – The 2023 Ohio Valley Conference Cross Country Championships saw both Tennessee Tech programs enjoy impressive performances Saturday morning, as the Golden Eagles delivered fourth-place finishes in the men's 8K and women's 6K at Eagle Trace Golf Course in Morehead, Ky.

The Tech men secured its fourth-place display with 99 points while Eastern Illinois earned its second straight league title with 56 points overall. For just the second time in program history, the Golden Eagles produced a top-four finish in three straight seasons. The purple and gold accomplished the feat in four consecutive years from 1964-67.  

Leading the way for the Tech men with a dazzling display was junior Miceal McCaul, shattering his previous career-best mark in the 8K by nearly 40 seconds with a time of 23:54.05, the second-fastest mark in program history. Placing fourth among 89 competitors, the veteran earned All-OVC First Team accolades for the second straight year, joining TTU Sports Hall of Famer Lee Byrd and former Tech great Gilbert Boit as the only Golden Eagles to earn the honor twice.

Additionally, McCaul became the first men's cross country runner in program history to earn All-OVC recognition three times in his career, earning a Second-Team nod in 2021 as a freshman. His fourth-place finish represented the best by a Golden Eagle since Boit became the only athlete in school history to win the OVC Championships in 2016.

Participating in his first OVC Championships, McNeese transfer James Hyland contributed a 12-place finish to the mix for the purple and gold, clocking in with a career-best chase of 24:20.80, the fifth-best 8K in school history. The junior picked up All-OVC Second Team honors for his efforts.

Senior Dominic Smith contributed a strong showing in his final OVC Championship, crossing the finish line 16^th overall behind a career-best 8K of 24:28.07, the 11^th-fastest time in Golden Eagle history. Fellow senior Chase Faudi earned a top-25 finish behind the quickest 8K of his career, posting a time of 24:46.99.

Rounding out the scoring for the purple and gold behind another brilliant, career run was sophomore Isaac Legault. The youngster slashed nearly two full minutes off his previous top time, crossing the finish line at 25:12.37.

On the women's side, the purple and gold tallied 105 points for its fourth-place finish among the 11 teams competing while the Eastern Illinois women took home the crown again with 42 points. The Golden Eagle women turned in their third consecutive ranking in the top four of the OVC Championships for the first time in school history.

Pacing the purple and gold with a strong run was veteran Helen Pacurariu-Nagy, placing sixth among 96 runners with a 6K display of 21:48.13. Her efforts led to the second All-OVC First Team nod of her career and first since 2021. She joined TTU Sports Hall of Famer Stephanie Place and former Golden Eagle great Purity Sanga as the only Tech women to earn First-Team recognition twice.

Delivering a spectacular result in her first career OVC Championships was rookie Makaleigh Jessee. The freshman secured a spot on the All-OVC Second Team following a 13-place finish and 6K performance of 22:14.46.

Next among the Tech competitors was senior Rahab Sawe, rounding out her final OVC Championships in style with a 26^th-place finish of 22:41.86. One spot behind in 27^th  was junior Maddie Long. The Cookeville native performed admirably besting her previous career-best 6K by more than 20 seconds with a mark of 22:46.08.

Junior Chloe Wade rounded out the scoring effort for the purple and gold, clocking in at 23:06.77 to finish 33^rd overall. Completing her Tech career was senior Emma Bradford, turning in a time of 24:12.51.

The Golden Eagles will compete next at the NCAA South Regional Championships on Friday, Nov. 10 in Gainesville, Fla.

Photos by Brad Laux, Morehead State