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NEW ORLEANS – The Eastern Kentucky University men’s cross country team jumped seven spots, from 15th to eighth, in the Southeast Region per this week’s USTFCCCA rankings. The women’s cross country team held steady at ninth in the region.

The men’s team’s sudden rise comes on the heels of a strong performance in a dual meet with Marshall on Sept. 4 in which the Colonels’ top three finishers did not compete for EKU last fall. Freshman Soufiane Bouchikhi won the meet with a three-mile time of 13:53.0 while junior David Mutuse, who redshirted last season, finished second with a time of 14:19.0 and freshman Ole Hesselbjerg finished fifth with a time of 14:29.0.

The Colonels are now ranked ahead of such notable teams as Liberty (ninth), George Mason (10th) and in-state rival Kentucky (11th). Their new ranking puts them just behind Virginia Tech (seventh) and Louisville (sixth). North Carolina State is the top-ranked men's team in the Southeast Region.

EKU will run in its second meet of the season this Saturday, Sept. 18, when the Colonels compete at the Western Kentucky Old Timers Classic in Bowling Green. Senior Evans Kiptoo, who finished third at the 2008 OVC Cross Country Championships before redshirting last year, is expected to make his season debut at that meet along with a handful of other talented newcomers.

The women’s team also turned in a strong performance at the dual meet with Marshall as all five of the top finishers in the race were Colonels. Sophomore Jackline Barkechir won the two-mile race with a time of 11:27.8 while senior Kat Pagano finished second (11:30.0), junior Danielle Mason finished third (11:55.0), senior Sylvia Bundotich finished fourth (11:56.0) and freshman Natalie Field finished fifth (11:59.0).

The EKU women are ranked ahead of such notable teams as Wake Forest (10th), Richmond (11th), Virginia Tech (12th) and in-state rival Western Kentucky (14th). Duke is the top-ranked women's team in the Southeast Region.

The women’s team also returns to action this Saturday at the WKU Old Timers Classic.

Both EKU squads are the only teams in the OVC to be regionally ranked.

The Southeast Region is one of the largest of the nine regions in the nation, consisting of all NCAA Division I schools from the states of Kentucky, Virginia, North Carolina and South Carolina. The region also features all Atlantic Coast Conference schools.