RICHMOND, Ky. – The Eastern Kentucky University men’s and women’s cross country teams will look to continue their run of excellence in the Ohio Valley Conference this Saturday when both teams travel to the OVC Championships at the Southern Hills Golf Course in Cookeville, Tenn.

The women's 5K race will begin at 10:00 a.m. with the men's 8K race following at 10:45 a.m.

Both teams will attempt to extend EKU’s OVC cross country dynasty by winning their fifth consecutive OVC titles.

It marks the first time since the 1998 season that the OVC Championships have been held in Cookeville. The meet is free and open to the public.

This will be the 49th OVC men's championship, as the first one was held in 1962. EKU has won the most OVC Championships (18), including the last four in a row and five of the last six. EKU has had the OVC Runner of the Year (top finisher) in each of the last six seasons, including Wesley Ruttoh a year ago.

The women's championship will be determined for the 32nd time. EKU has won 24 of the previous 31 championships, including four in a row and six of the last eight. Despite winning all those team championships, the Colonels had gone five years in a row without having a Runner of the Year until then-freshman Picoty Leitich won a year ago.

Men’s Preview

Picked first in a preseason poll of OVC cross country coaches, EKU enters Saturday's championship as the unquestioned favorite to claim its 19th title. The Colonels spent most of the season ranked in the USTFCCCA regional rankings and are coming off a performance at the NCAA Pre-Nations in Terre Haute, Ind. two weeks ago.
 
In that race freshman Soufiane Bouchikhi finished ninth in a highly competitive field of 241 runners. That performance earned Bouchikhi his fourth OVC Runner of the Week honor of the 2010 season. The native of Antwerp, Belgium holds the fastest OVC 8K time of the season, a sizzling mark of 23:17.99 he ran on Sept. 25 at the Memphis Twilight Classic. Sophomore Victor Kemboi and junior Evans Kiptoo have been the Colonels’ consistent 2-3 runners all season and are among those who should compete with Bouchikhi for the individual title.

The Colonels have not found a consistent fourth and fifth runner this season. Freshman Ole Hesselbjerg and sophomore Daniel Jones finished fourth and fifth two weeks ago at the Pre-Nationals; however, juniors Chris Rice, who finished ninth at last year’s championship and was named second team All-OVC, Alex Dreyer and Musa Kimuli and freshman Adams Ronnoh have also filled those positions sporadically throughout the year. Junior David Mutuse, an OVC champion in the 3,000 meter steeplechase who started the season as one of the Colonels’ top runners but has struggled with injuries of late, could also emerge as one of EKU’s top five finishers.

Women’s Preview

EKU literally ran away with the OVC Championship a season ago, placing three runners among the top four runners overall, as Leitich earned OVC Runner of the Year and Freshman of the Year honors by finishing the race in 19:29.05. Leitich is back this season to defend her title. If she accomplishes that feat, it would be the first time that has happened since the 2004 and 2005 seasons. Seniors Sylvia Bundotich (who was third a season ago) and Kat Pagano (who was fourth last year after a fifth place finish in 2008) also return to bolster the Colonel squad. Leitich and Pagano hold the top four 5K times in the OVC this season.

Sophomore Jackline Barkechir has performed well in her first cross country season as a Colonel and should compete for All-OVC honors, as should senior Ashli Joseph and junior Danielle Mason, who finished 11th and 13th, respectively, at last year’s meet. A duo of freshman, Natalie Field and Hannah Miller, will also compete for EKU on Saturday.

“We need to focus on running as a team,” 40-time OVC Cross Country Coach of the Year Rick Erdmann said. “It doesn’t help us if our top two runners do well but the rest of our runners fall back. If we can run as a team, and compete as a team, we’ll be fine.”

Check back to www.ekusports.com throughout the day for results and interviews with the winners.