Following junior Erika Ramos’s fourth place finish in the Ohio Valley Conference championship meet, the Panthers had a number of other top finishers, as well as five runners on the All-OVC team.

Junior Olivia Klaus finished behind Ramos in fifth place with a time of 18:25.83, while fifth year senior Caitlin Napoleoni finished out her career on the Eastern cross country team with a seventh place finish. Napoleoni crossed the finish line with a time of 18:35.02. Juniors Britney Whitehead and Gabriela Duenas finished in 11th place and 14th place. Whitehead recorded a time of 18:41.44, while Duenas had a time of 18:44.44.

Closing out the Panthers’ top 25 finishers, red-shirt senior Megan Gingerich finished in 15th place with a time of 18:48.81 and Emily Pedziwiatr finished in 27th with a time of 19:52.86. The final Panther finisher was freshman Chelsea Sondgeroth, who finished in 40th place with a time of 19:52.86.

Five earn All-OVC honors

For the second consecutive season, the Eastern women’s team had five runners named to the all conference team. Ramos, Klaus and Napoleoni were each named to the all-conference first team. Whitehead and Duenas were each named to the second team.

The Eastern men’s team finished in second place in the OVC championship meet, falling to Eastern Kentucky. The Colonels finished in the top two spots, totaling 18 points, well ahead of Eastern’s second place 62 score.

Finishing behind the Panthers’ top finisher, senior Brad LaRocque, the team had a number of runners finish in the top 25.

Freshman Bryce Basting finished in 11th place with a time of 26:11.35, while senior Matt Feldhake finished in 13th place with a time of 26:15.35. Sophomore Danny Delaney finished 14th place with a time of 26:21.13. Juniors Graham Morris and Jordan Jones rounded out the team’s top 25 finishers.

Morris finished in 18th place with a time of 26:41.83, while Jones finished with a time of 26:49.58.

The Panthers had two runners finish outside of the top 25. Bill Roth finished in 27th with a time of 27:06.09, while sophomore Ryan Ballard finished in 31st with a time of 27:17.22.

One makes first team, two on second team

LaRocque was the only member of the Eastern men’s team to earn first team All-OVC honors. Feldhake and Delaney each earned All-OVC second team honors for their performances.

Both the men’s and women’s teams will compete again at the NCAA Midwest Regional in DeKalb.

Dominic Renzetti can be reached at 581-7942 or dcrenzetti@eiu.edu.