The Eastern cross-country teams swept the Ohio Valley Conference Cross-Country Championship last Saturday in Morehead, Kentucky. This was the second year in a row that both teams won the conference meet. 

The men’s cross country won their 4th straight OVC championship trophy. They have won every year since 2020. 

The men’s team was led by fifth year senior Adam Swanson, finishing with a time of 23.33.57. Swanson won the meet, finishing a full 14 seconds ahead of the second-place runner.  

Sophomore Micheal Atkins came third with a time of 23.50.06. Atkins finished roughly half a second behind the second-place runner. 

Senior Richie Jacobo (23:58.47, placed sixth), freshman Joe Stoddard (24:35.46, 18^th), and junior Isai Morales (24:52.35, 28^th) round out Eastern’s top five. 

Junior Sam Nowak, freshman Sam Cruz, sophomore Noah Schalliol, and freshman Cale Smith all finished in the top 40. Sophomore Mason Stoeger finished 54^th out of 89 runners. 

The women’s cross-country team was led by senior Mackenzie Aldridge, who finished second with a time of 21:11.85.  

The Panthers finished with three more runners in the top 10. Redshirt senior Sarah Carr finished fifth with a time of 21:36.08, freshman Brenda Torres finished eighth with a time of 21:58.17, and junior Kylie Haacke finished 10^th with a time of 22:07.39.  

Redshirt junior Kylie Decker completed Eastern’s top five, finishing 17^th with a time of 22:32.74. 

Sophomore Rylea Borgic, senior Alex Gomez, and freshman Bella Marcum finished in the top 40. 

Sophomore Kathryn Cichon and redshirt senior Breana Sheldon finished 47^th and 52^nd respectively. 96 runners competed in this meet. 

Both of the Panther squads will be running again at the regional meet on Friday, Nov. 10^th in Stillwater, Oklahoma. 

Aidan Cusack can be reached at 581-2812 or at densportsdesk@gmail.com.