COOKEVILLE, Tenn. — The SIUE Cougars were in full force Saturday as both cross-country teams were in action at the Ohio Valley Conference Championships Saturday in Cookeville, Tenn.
Junior Roland Prenzler set the pace for the men, finishing 15th overall with a time of 25:48 in the 8K event.
Eastern Illinois won the event with 65 points. Tennessee-Martin (67), Southern Indiana (82), Tennessee Tech (101), and Little Rock (112) would round out the top five. The Cougars men would finish eighth overall.
“Our men had their strongest pack all year,” said coach Marcus Evans. “They worked very hard to move up as a unit. I really loved the fight they put up to support their teammates.”
Sophomore Kaitlyn Walker set the pace for the women in the 6K race with a 23:55 time to finish 35th overall.
In a similar fashion, Eastern Illinois took the plaudits and the win with 41 points. Southern Indiana (42), Tennessee Tech (71), SEMO (91), and Little Rock (138) would round out the top five. The Cougars women would finish eighth overall.
“Our teams competed tough today,” said Evans. “The women we worked well with small packs. [They] stayed in contact to help our overall team score. We are excited about the next opportunity.”
Men’s results
| Name | Time | Finish |
| Roland Prenzler | 25:48 | 15 |
| Spencer Hielkema | 26:14 | 23 |
| Zach Walters | 26:54 | 42 |
| Cameron Woodard | 27:05 | 49 |
| Blake Panagos | 27:24 | 58 |
| Jackson Edwards | 27:50 | 65 |
| D’Andre Watson | 29:38 | 81 |
Women’s results
| Name | Time | Finish |
| Kaitlyn Walker | 23:55 | 35 |
| Chessy Nikonowicz | 24:45 | 55 |
| Natalia Rodriguez | 24:51 | 57 |
| Alexis Fischer | 24:51 | 58 |
| Courtney Anthonies | 25:25 | 63 |
| Olivia Wolf | 26:08 | 69 |
| Alexis Edgar | 26:09 | 70 |
| Ana Keller | 26:52 | 72 |
Next up for the Cougars
The teams will be idle until the NCAA Midwestern Regionals on Friday, Nov. 11 in Columbia, Mo.
Owen Hetherington is an athletic communications assistant at Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville.
