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Clarksville, TN - A record 1,222 students were conferred degrees, Friday, as Austin Peay State University held its 84th Spring Commencement in the Dunn Center and 49 of those were Govs and Lady Govs student-athletes. 
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Clarksville, TN — Austin Peay State University’s athletic department handed out its individual/team honors and awards for the 2012-13 school year, at the Dunn Center April 29th, with a local product and a transfer taking home the events top award.
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November 8, 2012 |
Ohio Valley Conference schools will compete at three NCAA Cross Country Regionals this today. Teams and school are looking for good performances to advance to the National Championship Meet in Louisville, Ky. on Saturday, Nov. 17.
That is a slight change in dates from previous years when regionals were held on a Saturday with the national championship being run on the Monday prior to Thanksgiving.
The top two teams from each of the nine regionals will qualify for the NCAA Championship. Thirteen (13) other teams will be at-large selections chosen by the NCAA Division I track and field and cross country sub-committee (and announced no later than 12 p.m. on Saturday). In addition, 36 individuals will automatically qualify for the championship by being one of the top four regional finishers not on an advancing team. Two additional individuals are at-large selections by the sub-committee.
The Eastern Kentucky men’s team enters the regionals ranked No. 15 nationally in the USTFCCA poll and No. 1 in the Southeast Region. The Colonels have been ranked as high as No. 13 this season, the highest ranking in school history. EKU is looking to qualify for the NCAA Championships for the second-straight season; last year Eastern Kentucky (making the first appearance in the NCAAs for an OVC team since 1980) finished 26th overall. Junior Soufiane Bouchikhi, the three-time defending OVC Champion, finished 49th at the Championship in 2010 and 47th last season.
Austin Peay, Belmont, Jacksonville State, Tennessee Tech and UT Martin will be competing at the South Region Meet hosted by the Florida State. The women’s 6K race will start at 8:30 a.m. ET while the men’s 10K following at 9:15 a.m. The race will be run at Apalachee Regional Park in Tallahassee. The Belmont women enter the event ranked 7th in the region.
Eastern Kentucky, Morehead State and Murray State will run at McAlpine Park in Charlotte, N.C. The women’s 6K begins at 12:00 p.m. ET with the men’s 10K following at 1:15 p.m. The University of Charlotte is the host for the Southeast Region. The EKU women are ranked 14th in the region entering the event.
Eastern Illinois, Southeast Missouri and SIUE will compete at the Midwest Region Meet in Springfield, Mo. The women’s 6K race begins at 12:00 p.m. CT with the men’s 10K race following at 1:15 p.m. Missouri State University will serve as the host. The EIU men enter the event ranked 14th in the region
South Region Meet (Austin Peay, Belmont, Jacksonville State, Tennessee Tech, UT Martin)
Host: Florida State University
City: Tallahassee, Fla.
Competition Site: Apalachee Regional Park
Regional Website
Southeast Region Meet (Eastern Kentucky, Morehead State, Murray State)
Host: University of Charlotte
City: Charlotte, N.C.
Competition Site: McAlpine Park
Regional Website
Midwest Region Meet (Eastern Illinois, Southeast Missouri, SIUE)
Host: Missouri State University
City: Springfield, Mo.
Competition Site: MSU Cross Country Course
Regional Website
Prior to the beginning of the season, OVC cross country coaches made their predictions for the 2012 season. On the men’s side Eastern Kentucky was picked as the favorites (121 points, 11 first-place votes) and was followed by Eastern Illinois (103), Southeast Missouri (99), Belmont (93, 1 first-place vote), SIUE (73), Morehead State (72), Jacksonville State (57), UT Martin (51), Tennessee Tech (41), Austin Peay (39), Murray State (26) and Tennessee State (17). Eastern Illinois was picked as the women’s preseason favorite (116 points, 7 first-place votes) and was followed by Eastern Kentucky (110, 3 first-place votes), Belmont (96, 2 first-place votes), Southeast Missouri (89), Murray State (85), Morehead State (68), Jacksonville State (58), SIUE (57), Austin Peay (45), UT Martin (32), Tennessee Tech (25) and Tennessee State (11). This year marks the first time the OVC has had 12 schools competing in its cross country championship, as Belmont and SIUE will compete in the event for the first time.
USTFCCCA Rankings: In the latest set of U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) national rankings (Sept. 24-25), the Eastern Kentucky men are ranked 25th nationally, up one spot from last week’s poll. In the regional rankings the Eastern Kentucky men are No. 2 in the Southeast Region while the EKU women remained 10th. The Belmont men are No. 13 in the South Region while the Bruins women’s team is No. 10. The Southeast Missouri State men’s team is currently 15th in the Midwest Region. The next set of USTFCCCA polls will be released on Oct. 1.
Team Notes
Austin Peay: Austin Peay did not compete last week. The APSU squads are back on the course on Saturday at the Greater Louisville Classic.
Belmont: Belmont was not in action this week. The Bruins will return to the course on Saturday at the Greater Louisville Classic. BU will be one of seven OVC teams at the event.
Eastern Illinois: Eastern Illinois was idle last week. The Panthers squads next compete on Saturday at the Greater Louisville Classic.
Eastern Kentucky: Eastern Kentucky was not in action last week. The Colonels nationally-ranked men’s “A” team will compete at the Notre Dame Classic on Friday, while the men’s “B” squad and the regionally-ranked women’s team will run at the Greater Louisville Classic on Saturday.
Jacksonville State: Jacksonville State was one of just three OVC schools in action last week as the Gamecocks traveled to Pensacola, Fla. to compete in the University of West Florida Gulf Coast Stampede. The JSU men were fourth in a field of nine teams while the women’s squad took second out of 12 squads. Kailey Jensen led the women’s team and was named adidas® OVC Runner of the Week after placing second in the field of 105 competitors. Jensen covered the 5K field in 19:00.30. Overall the women’s team placed three runners in the top six overall. Senior Matt Brick was named adidas® OVC Male Runner of the Week after placing third out of 93 runners. Brick ran the 8K course in 26:29.10. Teammate Nick Hager also finished in the top five, placing fifth with a time of 26:42.60. Jacksonville State will not compete this week but returns to action in two weeks when the program hosts the JSU Foothills Invitational. The meet, held at the Oxford Lake and Recreation Center, will serve as a preview for the OVC Championship which will be held at the course on Oct. 27.
Morehead State: Morehead State did not compete last weekend but is back on the course on Saturday at the Greater Louisville Classic.
Murray State: Murray State was off from competition last week but the Racers return to action on Friday at the Notre Dame Classic. MSU is one of two OVC teams (the EKU men will also run) who will be at the meet.
Southeast Missouri: In preparation for the Sean Earl Lakefront Invitational in Chicago on Saturday, Southeast Missouri ran just three individuals at the Saluki Invitational this past weekend. Those competitors included Tyson Stoverink (31st) and Sean Brown (40th) on the men’s side and Samantha Thierry (44th) on the women’s side.
SIUE: SIUE was off last week but is back to competition at the Greater Louisville Classic on Saturday.
Tennessee State: Tennessee State traveled to Daytona Beach and competed in the Bethune-Cookman Classic on the same weekend its football team was in town to play Bethune-Cookman. The women’s team finished second out of four squads while the men’s team competed in the dual scored meet, besting both host Bethune-Cookman and Ed Waters. Adrian McDaniel led the Flying Tigers with a 5K time of 19:31.40 which was second overall. The Tigerbelles were paced by Breanna Adams who was seventh overall with a 5K time of 23:37.84. TSU is one of just two OVC teams who will not be in action this week; the teams will be back on the course in two weeks at the Tennessee Tech Invitational.
Tennessee Tech: Tennessee Tech was not in action last week but the Golden Eagles will run at the Greater Louisville Classic on Saturday. Tech will be one of seven OVC teams at the meet.
UT Martin: UT Martin did not run last week but will travel to the Rhodes Invitational in Memphis on Saturday.
This Week’s Schedule
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 28
Notre Dame Classic (South Bend, Ind.)
Eastern Kentucky (men)
Murray State
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 29
Greater Louisville Classic (Louisville, Ky.)
Austin Peay
Belmont
Eastern Illinois
Eastern Kentucky
Morehead State
SIUE
Tennessee Tech
Sean Earl Lakefront Invitational (Chicago, Ill.)
Southeast Missouri
Rhodes Invitational (Memphis, Tenn.)
UT Martin
adidas® OVC Runners of the Week
MALE RUNNER OF THE WEEK
Matt Brick • Jacksonville State
Sr. • Pell City, Ala.
Brick finished third out of 93 runners at the UWF Gulf Coast Stampede in Pensacola, Fla. on Saturday. The senior posted an 8K time of 26:29.10 and helped the Gamecocks to a fourth place finish overall in the field of nine teams.
Others Nominated: Tyson Stoverin, Southeast Missouri; Adrian McDaniel, Tennessee State.
FEMALE RUNNER OF THE WEEK
Kailey Jensen • Jacksonville State
Sr. • Schererville, Ind.
Jensen claimed second place in a field of 105 runners at the University of West Florida Gulf Coast Stampede in Pensacola, Fla. on Saturday. The senior turned in a 5K time of 19:00.30 to lead the Gamecocks team for the third-straight meet. The time was eight seconds behind the individual winner. Jensen’s performance helped the Gamecocks to a second place finish out of 12 teams.
Others Nominated: Samantha Thierry, Southeast Missouri; Breanna Adams, Tennessee State.
September 8, 2012 |
Three top-ten finishers pace Lady Govs
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. – Led by three top-10 finishers, Austin Peay State University women’s cross country team put together a strong showing at Friday’s Powerade Invitational, hosted by Chattanooga. The Lady Govs finished third out of seven teams.
Junior Xiamar Richards led the Lady Govs with a sixth-place, 12:22.97 finish in the two-mile event. It was Richards second top-40 run in as many meets this season and her sixth career top-10. Her previous top-10 finish was at last season’s Ohio Valley Conference Cross Country Championships.
Senior Chantelle Grey (seventh, 12:25.47) and junior Kendra Kirksey (ninth, 12:27.03) each picked up a top-10 finish for the first time this season. It was Kirksey’s third career top-10, and the second for Grey.
Junior Miranda Weed (20th, 13:17.59) and freshman Alexis Eldrige (26th, 13:37.72) rounded out the scoring for the Lady Govs. Senior Alyssa Molnar (31st, 14:05.44) also competed.
“Our top three finishers today are now second, third and fourth all-time in school history in the two-mile run,” said head coach Doug Molnar. “Weed’s mark also puts her into the top-20.”
The Lady Govs earned 68 points as a team, finishing behind host Chattanooga (49 points) and Middle Tennessee (62). Austin Peay defeated OVC foes Tennessee Martin (81 points) and Tennessee State (195).
Govs improve at Powerade Invitational
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. – After a difficult opening weekend, Austin Peay State University men’s cross country team showed marked improvement at Friday’s Powerade Invitational, hosted by Chattanooga. The Govs placed fourth out of six squads at the meet.
Senior Konnor Kessler led the way again for the Govs, picking up his season’s first top-20 finish with a 14th-place, 17:04.05 run, while junior Tyler Kepley joined him in the top-20 with a 17:30.90 mark, good for 17th.
“The guys got out a lot faster today,” said head coach Doug Molnar. “Kepley actually led the race through the first 600 meters or so. We’ve just got to get a little stronger.”
Senior Geofrey Kosgei was the third Gov across the line at 18:27.67, placing him 22nd. Sophomore David Frattarelli (27th, 18:55.94) and junior Genaro Martinez (33rd, 19:24.25) rounded out the scoring for the Govs.
The Govs finished fourth with 103 team points, ahead of fellow Ohio Valley Conference foe Tennessee State (sixth, 150) and behind Tennessee Martin (third, 67). Middle Tennessee was the overall men’s winner with 26 team points.
“Overall, I’m much happier with this week,” Molnar said. “We ran a better race and were much more aggressive.”
Austin Peay will take two weeks off before the next scheduled meet, at the Greater Louisville Cross Country Classic, on Sept. 29.
“The women got out harder today,” Molnar said. “We were much more aggressive early in the race and it showed in the final standings.”
Austin Peay will take two weeks off before the next scheduled meet, at the Greater Louisville Cross Country Classic, on Sept. 29.
September 7, 2012 |
Women’s Cross Country heads to Chattanooga
CLARKSVILLE – Austin Peay State University women’s cross country team looks to build on a solid start when they travel to Chattanooga for Friday’s Powerade Invitational. The race is scheduled to kick off at 4 p.m. (CT).
Junior Xiamar Richards turned in her 12th career top-40 finish at last week’s Brooks Memphis Twilight, leading the Lady Govs to a 12th-place team finish. She finished 35th in the five-kilometer event with a 20:14.00 run.
“Even with her effort, I thought she could’ve picked up a few spots last week,” said head coach Doug Molnar. “It’s all a learning experience and that’s what we talked to them about. We have to take what we learn each week and apply it to the next meet.”
Richards was a freshman during her last run at the Powerade Invitational and finished 19th overall, while junior Kendra Kirksey finished 33rd in the 2010 edition of the Powerade. Senior Alyssa Molnar and junior Miranda Weed also competed in 2010, where the Lady Govs finished sixth in the team standings.
Govs look to rebound at Chattanooga
CLARKSVILLE – After trekking through rough conditions last weekend, Austin Peay State University men’s cross country team hopes the weather is kinder at this weekend’s Powerade Invitational, hosted by Chattanooga. The men’s race is scheduled to begin at 4:45 p.m. (CT).
The conditions at last weekend’s Brooks Memphis Twilight did nothing to help the Govs, who struggled to find footing in the mud. Head coach Doug Molnar thinks a week of practice in soggy conditions may help his team this weekend.
“I think last week was definitely a learning experience,” Molnar said. “I really hope we don’t have too many more meets like Memphis. We thought we could hang out at the back of the pack the first third of the race and then make our move and that didn’t happen for us.”
Junior Konnor Kessler, who led the Govs last weekend, was 52nd overall at the 2010 running of the Powerade Invitational. Classmate Tyler Kepley finished 35th with a 17:11s mark in the five-kilometer run. The Govs finished third as a team.
“Konnor’s been getting stronger during practice,” Molnar said. “We expect him to continue getting better as the season goes on.”
September 5, 2012 |
Prior to the beginning of the season, OVC cross country coaches made their predictions for the 2012 season. On the men’s side Eastern Kentucky was picked as the favorites (121 points, 11 first-place votes) and was followed by Eastern Illinois (103), Southeast Missouri (99), Belmont (93, 1 first-place vote), SIUE (73), Morehead State (72), Jacksonville State (57), UT Martin (51), Tennessee Tech (41), Austin Peay (39), Murray State (26) and Tennessee State (17). Eastern Illinois was picked as the women’s preseason favorite (116 points, 7 first-place votes) and was followed by Eastern Kentucky (110, 3 first-place votes), Belmont (96, 2 first-place votes), Southeast Missouri (89), Murray State (85), Morehead State (68), Jacksonville State (58), SIUE (57), Austin Peay (45), UT Martin (32), Tennessee Tech (25) and Tennessee State (11). This year marks the first time the OVC has had 12 schools competing in its cross country championship, as Belmont and SIUE will compete in the event for the first time.
USTFCCCA Rankings
n the first set of U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) national rankings, the Eastern Kentucky men are ranked 29th nationally. In the regional rankings the Eastern Kentucky men are No. 2 in the Southeast Region while the Belmont men are No. 6 in the South Region. The Belmont women’s team is No. 10 in the South Region. The next set of USTFCCCA polls will be released on Sept. 10.
Team Notes
Austin Peay: Austin Peay started the 2012 season as one of five OVC teams to compete at the Brooks Memphis Twilight Classic. The women’s team was 12th out of 21 teams at the 5K distance while the men’s team was 20th in the 4-mile event. Junior Xiamar Richards led the women’s team with a 35th place finish, her 12th top 40 finish of her career. She covered the course in 20:14.00. Konnor Kessler was the men’s top finisher (23:50.32). Austin Peay will return to the course this week at the PowerAde Invitational in Chattanooga.
Belmont: Belmont began its first season in the OVC by hosting the Belmont/Vanderbilt Cross Country Opener at Percy Ward Park in Nashville. The men’s team was third out of nine teams while the women’s team also took third place (in a field of eight). In a field that included seven teams ranked in the USTFCCCA regional poll, sophomore David Everett was 13th overall in a time of 15:50.60. On the women’s side Mia Elbon, who was the A-Sun Freshman of the Year in 2011, led the women’s squad with a fifth place finish (14:32.40). The Bruins are back in action in two weeks at the Commodore Classic.
Eastern Illinois: Eastern Illinois will begin the season on Friday night when it hosts the Walt Crawford Open.
Eastern Kentucky: Eastern Kentucky got the 2012 season off on the right foot, sweeping the men’s and women’s team and individual titles at the Brooks Memphis Twilight Classic on Saturday. Both teams bested fields that included 20 other teams, including four other OVC schools. On the men’s side junior Soufiane Bouchikhi finished first with a 4-mile time of 20:43.95, which was just ahead of teammates Thijs Nijhuis (20:43.99) and Ben Toroitich (20:44.03). Overall the Colonels, who are ranked 29th nationally, had 10 of the top 15 runners overall in the meet, which had 203 total competitors. The women’s team had four of the top six finishers with freshman Meri Rantanen winning in a 5K time of 18:11.74 in her collegiate debut. Her sister Viivi Rantanen was third overall (18:35.65) in her first race with the Colonels. For their performances Bouchikhi and Rantanen were named adidas® OVC Runners of the Week. EKU returns to the course in two weeks at the Vanderbilt Commodore Classic in Nashville.
Jacksonville State: Jacksonville State opened its season by sweeping the team titles at its own event, the Struts Season Opener, held on the course where the OVC Championship will be held later this season. Sophomore Mickey Sanders won the second individual crown of his career, finishing the 5K race in 16:21, two seconds ahead of teammate Matt Brick and three seconds ahead of teammate Nick Hager. The women’s team was paced by senior Kailey Jensen who finished second in a 2-mile time of 12:05. The Gamecocks will return to competition in two weeks at the Vanderbilt Commodore Classic in Nashville.
Morehead State: Competing in a strong field of 21 teams, the Morehead State men’s team was second overall (behind only OVC foe Eastern Kentucky) while the women’s squad was fifth overall at the Brooks Memphis Twilight. The men’s squad topped three teams who were ranked regionally in the USTFCCCA polls and were led by junior Zachariah Elliott who was eighth out of 203 runners with a 4-mile time of 21:04.33. The Eagles top five runners all finished in the Top 40 overall. The women’s team was led by Morgan Lira who placed 15th in a 5K time of 19:42.0. MSU is back on the course in two weeks at the Vanderbilt Commodore Classic in Nashville.
Murray State: Murray State was one of five OVC teams to run at the Brooks Memphis Twilight Classic on Saturday night. The Racers women’s team was fourth out of 21 squads while the men placed 17th overall. Freshman Abbie Ashbee-Simmonds was the team’s top finisher, placing eighth overall with a 5K time of 19:03.93 in her collegiate debut. The men were led by Lucas Prather who was 50th in a field of 203 runners with a time of 22:20.01. The Racers return to action in two weeks at the Commodore Classic in Nashville.
Southeast Missouri: Southeast Missouri opened the 2012 season with each its men’s and women’s teams winning titles at the Washington University Early Bird in St. Louis on Saturday. The Redhawks men’s team topped 14 other squads while the women’s team bested 16 other teams. Junior Brent Collins led the men’s runners with a fourth place finish (19:28.4) while sophomore Rebekah Lawson was second in the field of 140 runners with a 4K time of 14:36.2. Southeast Missouri is off this week but back in two weeks at the SIUE Cross Country Challenge.
SIUE: SIUE will open the 2012 season on Friday night when it travels to Charleston, Ill. to compete in the Walt Crawford Open hosted by Eastern Illinois.
Tennessee State: Tennessee State will kick off the 2012 campaign on Friday at the PowerAde Invitational in Chattanooga.
Tennessee Tech: Tennessee Tech did not run in a meet this week but will debut on Saturday at the Huntsville Invitational in Huntsville, Ala.
UT Martin: UT Martin opened the year at the Brooks Memphis Twilight Classic on Saturday. The Skyhawks men were 15th overall while the women’s team was 11th. Senior Amanda Wardlaw was the Skyhawks top finisher, placing 30th out of 185 runners with a 5K time of 20:07.40. The men were paced by freshman Justin Morgan who was 55th out of 203 runners with a 4-mile time of 22:31.55. UTM is back in action on Friday night at the PowerAde Invitational.
This Week’s Schedule
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 7
Walt Crawford Open (Charleston, Ill.)
Eastern Illinois, SIUE
PowerAde Invitational (Chattanooga, Tenn.)
Austin Peay, Tennessee State, UT Martin
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 8
Huntsville Invitational (Huntsville, Ala.)
Tennessee Tech
adidas® OVC Runners of the Week
MALE RUNNER OF THE WEEK
Soufiane Bouchikhi • Eastern Kentucky
Jr. • Antwerp, Belgium
Bouchikhi, the two-time defending OVC Champion, began his junior campaign by placing first out of 203 competitors at the Brooks Memphis Twilight Classic on Saturday. Bouchikhi covered the 4-mile course in a time of 20:43.95 which was just ahead of a pair of his Eastern Kentucky teammates. The performance helped the Colonels to the team title at the event, besting 20 other teams, including four other OVC schools.
Others Nominated: David Everett, Belmont; Mickey Sanders, Jacksonville State; Zachariah Elliott, Morehead State; Brent Collins, Southeast Missouri; Justin Morgan, UT Martin.
FEMALE RUNNER OF THE WEEK
Meri Rantanen • Eastern Kentucky
Fr. • Pusula, Finland
In her collegiate debut Rantanen took first place out of 185 runners at the Brooks Memphis Twilight Classic on Saturday. The freshman ran the 5K course in 18:11.74, which was nearly 13 seconds ahead of second place. Her performance helped the Colonels take first place out of 21 teams at the event, which also included four other OVC schools.
Others Nominated: Xiamar Richards, Austin Peay; Mia Elbon, Belmont; Kailey Jensen, Jacksonville State; Abbie Ashbee-Simmonds, Murray State; Rebekah Lawson, Southeast Missouri; Amanda Wardlaw, UT Martin.
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