Cross Country Continues Strong Running at EIU Panther Open

Sept. 11, 2009

CHARLESTON, Ill. (Friday, September 11, 2009) – The Redhawks cross country team continued their hot start to the 2009 campaign as they posted four top-ten finishes at the EIU Panther Open on Friday evening. The men’s and women’s team provided two top-ten finishes apiece on the Panther Trail in Charleston, Illinois.

The meet was a double-dual scoring meet with competitors from Danville CC, Eastern Illinois, Evansville, Illinois Track Club, Millikin, Southeast Missouri, Southern Illinois and SIU Edwardsville.

Reigning OVC Male Cross Country Runner of the Week Jason Lumpkin was the top overall finisher for the Redhawks. The junior from Ballwin, Missouri recorded his second-straight second place finish as he finished the 8K course in 25:28.71 just two seconds behind the Salukis Dan Dunbar for the title. It was the second-straight week that Lumpkin finished as the runner-up to Dunbar. The time set a new career best for Lumpkin.

Fellow junior Chris Loseman recorded his second-straight top-five finish as he finished fourth with a time of 25:29.90. Loseman also set a new career best in the 8K as he was just edged out by the Salukis Brad Wrage for third place.

Freshman Tyler Mullen finished 18th with a time of 26:35.38 followed by Cody Martin who placed 21st with a time of 26:39.33.

On the women’s side former Redhawks basketball player Szandra Pal continued her transformation to cross country runner. For the second-straight meet Pal led the Redhawks as she finished ninth in the 5K with a time of 18:53.98. It was Pal’s second top-ten finish this season.

Sophomore Liz Speicher recorded her first top-ten finish of the season as she finished tenth with a new career best time of 19:01.27. It was her second career top-ten finish.

Kasey Owens (19:14.35), Monica Noble (19:16.57) and Linnea Woldtvedt (19:17.46) finished 13th-15th respectively. Owens time set a new career best.

Kayla Brown (SIUE) won the women’s title with a time of 17:44.98.

The Redhawks will run again next weekend at the Commodore Classic hosted by Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee on September 19. Site for the race will be Percy Warner State Park, the site of the OVC Cross Country Championships on October 31.