MOREHEAD, Ky. - Clint Kliem became the first SIUE cross country runner to earn All-Ohio Valley Conference honors Saturday at the conference championships.
Kliem earned second team All-OVC honors with a 10th-place finish in the 8K event held at Eagle Trace Golf Course. His time of 25 minutes, 19.68 seconds helped the Cougar sophomore improve his spot from 19th last season into the top 10. It was the 17th fastest 8K time in school history for the Cougars.
The event was run under less than perfect conditions. Heavy rains in Morehead left the course muddy and sloppy.
"I tend to do better in worse conditions," said Kliem. "I think it played as a mental factor on other people."
The course was run as a 2K loop four times. Kliem said he excelled on the uphill swings.
"You did the same hill four times in a row. I think mentally it affected other people and may have played to their disadvantage where I used it to my advantage," said Kliem.
SIUE placed sixth as a team with 153 points. Eastern Kentucky won the team title with 16 points, including six runners among the top nine. Belmont was second with 74 followed by Morehead State (81), Eastern Illinois (107), Southeast Missouri (122), SIUE, UT Martin (226), Murray State (251), Austin Peay (258), Jacksonville State (258), Tennessee Tech (278), and Tennessee State (377).
"We were better than last year even though we placed the same as last year," said McAllister. "The team competed well."
Nick Moore was SIUE's second-fastest finisher in 22nd with a time of 25:49.76. He was followed by Keith Meyer (31st/26:07.17), Evan Moregeson (42nd/26:40.86), Luke Padesky (56th/27:29.69), Noah Isbell (60th/27:40.90), and Scott Woodard (91st/33:34.49).
The SIUE men now will get ready for the NCAA Regionals to be held Nov. 15 at Iowa State.
