Southeast fares well in conference meet

Linnea Woldtvedt was all smiles after reaching her goal at Saturday's Ohio Valley Conference Cross County Championships.

Competing in her hometown at the Cape Girardeau Jaycee Municipal Golf Course, Woldtvedt finished 14th to earn second-team all-OVC honors. Her time in the 5K race was 19 minutes, 31.3 seconds.

"I'm very excited," said Woldtvedt, a Central High School graduate. "Getting all-conference was a big goal of mine."

The top seven finishers in the meet made first-team all-OVC, while the next seven made the second team.

Woldtvedt was especially pleased because she endured a tough summer, missing several weeks of training due to a stress fracture that also bothered her during the track season.

"I had to take six weeks off," Woldtvedt said. "I started swimming and that really helped. I'm feeling really good right now."

Woldtvedt, a junior, significantly bettered her 25th-place finish from last year's OVC meet.

"I'm so excited for Linnea to make all-conference," Southeast coach Miles Krieger said. "It's great to have a hometown girl, with her family here, run so well."

Krieger came away feeling most of his runners performed well as his women were third and the men second.

Southeast's women finished with 59 points, just behind runner-up Murray State (55) and Eastern Kentucky (50), which captured its third straight championship.

It was the closest differential between first and third since 2001, when it was six points.

"We were close," Krieger said. "Last year we got third with 97 points and today we had 59."

Southeast's top runner in the women's race was senior Juli Koenegstein, who was second in 18:37.9.

Koenegstein repeated as first-team all-OVC, after finishing seventh last year. She was eighth in 2006.

"My goal was top five. I did better than I thought," Koenegstein said. "I'm happy."

So was Krieger.

"Juli ran fantastic," he said. "To be all-conference three times in cross country ... she's had a fantastic career."

Southeast sophomore Monica Noble also had a strong race, placing ninth (19:15.2) to make second-team all-OVC.

On the men's side, Krieger was elated with second place because he knew powerhouse Eastern Kentucky would be near impossible to beat.

The Colonels had the top three finishers to claim their third straight title with 17 points. Southeast had 66 points.

"We knew we couldn't beat Eastern Kentucky," Krieger said. "Our goal was second. I'm ecstatic."

Southeast senior Brandon Karcher led the Redhawks with a fourth-place finish in the 8K race (25:40.6) to make first-team all-OVC.

"My goal was top five and I knew that would be tough," Karcher said. "I'm happy."

Karcher, like Koenegstein, has been all-OVC three times. He was ninth last year and seventh in 2006. Both runners also are track standouts.

"Brandon ran a very good race," Krieger said. "He's had a great career in cross country."

Southeast's men had two second-team all-OVC runners in freshman Nate Shipley (12th, 26:22.6) and junior Dustin Davis (13th, 26:28.4).

Shipley was named the OVC men's freshman of the year for being the top freshman finisher.

"I thought they all ran well, men and women," Krieger said. "To have six make all-conference, I'm very happy about that."

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MEN (8 K)

Team results -- 1. Eastern Kentucky 17; 2. Southeast Missouri 66; 3. Morehead State 80; 4. Eastern Illinois 100; 5. Jacksonville State 157; 6. Tennessee Tech 178; 7. Austin Peay 193; 8. Murray State 224; 9. Tennessee-Martin 237; 10. Tennessee State 319.

Individual results

(Top 7 first-team all-OVC, next 7 second-team all-OVC)

1. Joseph Maina (EK) 25:14.5; 2. Stanley Mujo (EK) 25:24.4; 3. Evans Kiptoo (EK) 25:30; 4. Brandon Karcher (SE) 25:40.6. 5. Chris Rengifo (EK) 26:02; 6. Elkana Kurgat (EK) 26:04; 7. Ron Duncan (Mo) 26:05.6; 8. Derek Ericson (EI) 26:09.9; 9. George Kipglagat (JS) 26:13.3; 10. Jeff Rhodes (JS) 26:18.6; 11. David Willis (EK) 26:22.3); 12. Nate Shipley (SE) 26:22.6; 13. Dustin Davis (SE) 26:28.4; 14. Matt Dotson (Mo) 26:30.6.

@z_agate_no tab_no indnt_bld ld:Other Southeast Missouri results -- 15. Jason Lumpkin 26:37.7; 22. Chris Loseman 27:03.1; 32. Paul Stemmerman 27:38.5; 35. Cody Martin 27:51.2.

WOMEN (5K)

Team results -- 1. Eastern Kentucky 50; 2. Murray State 55; 3. Southeast Missouri 59; 4. Tennessee Tech 113; 5. Eastern Illinois 117; 6. Morehead State 173; 7. Austin Peay 187; 8. Tennessee-Martin 205; 9. Jacksonville State 229; 10. Tennessee State 296.

Individual results

(Top 7 first-team all-OVC, next 7 second-team all-OVC)

1. Stephanie Place (TT) 18:16.7; 2. Juli Koenegstein (SE) 18:37.9; 3. Katelyn Jones (Mu) 18:47.7; 4. Bertha Castillo (AP) 18:54.4; 5. Kathrine Pagano (EK) 18:56.9; 6. Barbara Phelan (EK) 18:59.8; 7. Taylor Crawford (Mu) 19:00.2; 8. Karissa Magnuson (Mu) 19:09.4; 9. Monica Noble (SE) 19:15.2; 10. Maria Doerger (EK) 19:15.8; 11. Alaina Zanin (Mu) 19:20.6; 12. Keri Light (TT) 19:24.8; 13. Alli McMaster (EK) 19:30.3; 14. Linnea Woldtvedt (SE) 19:31.3.

@z_agate_no tab_no indnt_bld ld:Other Southeast Missouri results -- 15. Liz Speicher 19:41; 19. Amy Warren 19:52.5; 33. Kasey Owens 20:37.9; 55. Lanie Haertling 21:55.2.