MOREHEAD, Ky. – If the results of last week's Queens Cross Country Challenge are any indication, than the Morehead State men's and women's teams are sitting in great shape as they prepare for the Ohio Valley Conference Championships in two weeks.
The Eagles will return to action at the Golden Eagle Invitational on Friday in Cookeville, Tenn., one week after the women finished in sixth place and the men in ninth at the Queens' meet. Those were the best team results in a competition that included at least 20 squads since 2018. In addition, all 28 Morehead State entries recorded season bests, with 21 posting career "pr's".
It will be the first time MSU will run on back-to-back weekends since the opening two weeks of the 2015 campaign.
Friday's competition will take place at the Putnam County Sports Complex in Cookeville, Tenn. The women will run a 6K beginning at 4:30 p.m. ET, with the men's 8K following it at 5:15 p.m. ET.
Six teams are slated to run. Besides Morehead State and host Tennessee Tech, Northern Colorado, Shorter (Ga.), Tennessee State and Tusculum (Tenn.) are entered.
"(It's the) same course as (the) OVC (Championships) a couple years ago," Eagle coach
Clay Dixon said. "It's all grass, mostly flat, but a couple of rolling hills.
"Of course I wasn't there 'cause June was born that day," he added, referring to his 2-year-old daughter.
"(It's the) final chance to race before (the) OVC (Championships), so it will help us determine who we want that squad to be," he continued. "They will be a little tired from just racing last week, but they should be able to handle it."
Sophomore
Brady Baker, freshman
Weston Blair, fifth-year
Justin Bland, freshman
Brody Coleman, fifth-year
Peyton Fairchild, freshman
Preston Glassco, freshman
Carter Hurley, freshman
Carter Lamb, senior
Austin Montgomery, freshman
Liam Parido, freshman
Ryan Richendollar, fifth-year
Kyler Stewart, sophomore
Keghan Thompson, fifth-year
Jacob Vogelpohl, sophomore
Garrett West and sophomore
Aidan Whitsell are expected to comprise the MSU men's field.
The Eagle women's entries are sophomore
Taylor Allen, sophomore
Lani Baskett, redshirt sophomore
Lydia Bauer, junior
Christiana Brittian, senior
Megan Bush, freshman
Meredith Campbell, freshman
Natalie Cotton, junior
Hope Harris, junior
Kaylyn Holman, senior
Lucy Singleton, junior
Casey Skaggs, sophomore
Emily Spradlin, fifth-year
Laikin Tarlton and junior
Abby Taylor.
Vogelpohl and Tarlton are the reigning OVC Runners of the Week. Both set significant "pr's" in the Queens' race.
Vogelpohl finished 41st in the Gold Division's 8K in 25:11.6, a 17.4-second improvement, and more than a minute faster than his time in his previous race five weeks ago at the Southern Showcase.
In the last 5K of her collegiate career, Tarlton placed 23rd in the Gold Division in 17:54.15. It was the fourth-fastest time in the OVC this season, the seventh-best in MSU history, the fastest at Morehead State since 2018 and her "pr" by almost 27 seconds.
Tennessee Tech last held the meet in 2022, but it will be the first-ever appearance for the Blue and Gold according to available records. Morehead State last competed at TTU in the 2022 OVC Championships, at which both Eagle squads placed seventh.
Live results can be accessed at
https://shorturl.at/EQESs.
After a week off, MSU will return for the OVC Championship on Friday, Nov. 1 at UT Martin.
