Vincennes University Cross Country is off and running after EIU Walt Crawford Open

CHARLESTON, Ill. – The Vincennes University Men's and Women's Cross Country teams began their 2022 season Friday afternoon with the Walt Crawford Open hosted by Eastern Illinois University.

The Trailblazers faced some tough competition out of the gates, going up against four NCAA Division I programs in their first meet of the year.

The VU women's team got the day started and Vincennes was led by sophomore Daisie Kinnett (Wheatland, Ind.), who came in as the 30th-place finisher with a solid time of 20:19.8.

Kinnett was followed closely behind by fellow sophomore Brittany Page (Freelandville, Ind.) and freshman Ada Peterman (Clay, Ill.), who finished 40th and 41st respectively. Page crossed the line with a time of 21:20.5 and Peterman ended at 21:24.0.

Sophomore Hope Laughlin (Olney, Ill.) and freshman Makenna Pruett (Montgomery, Ind.) rounded out the VU women's team with Laughlin finishing 49th at 22:18.5 and Pruett finishing 56th at 23:46.8.

The VU women's team finished fifth out of six teams competing Friday, finishing with a score of 154.

Vincennes was running against a very familiar face, in former Trailblazer All-American, now Indiana State runner Kyra Young. Young placed 33rd for the Sycamores.

The VU men's team competed against five NCAA Division I teams, with the Trailblazers holding their own as sophomore Mathew Keitany (Kenya) led the Vincennes pack with a 33rd-place finish at 26:58.5.

Freshman Isaac Stanford (Flora, Ill.) and sophomore Ernest Momodu (Indianapolis, Ind.) finished neck-and-neck with Stanford coming up with a 40th-place finish at 27:11.7 and Momodu finishing 41st at 27:14.5.

Freshman Sol O'Blenis (Amboy, Ind.) took home a 60th-place finish with a time of 29:02.7 and sophomore Ian Boit (Kimilili, Kenya) rounded out the VU scoring with a 64th-place finish at 29:38.4.

Freshman Matthew Gray (Washington, Ind.) and sophomores Trenton Faulkner (Wheatland, Ind.) and Reed Lawless (Kouts, Ind.) followed closely behind Boit, with Gray finishing at 29:40.7, Faulkner at 29:41.9 and Lawless at 29:51.2.

Freshmen TyDarius Clark (McCordsville, Ind.), Elijah McCartney (Darlington, Ind.) and Connor Roberson (Delphi, Ind.) were the next group of VU runners across the line, with Clark ending at 31:02.7, McCartney at 31:32.4 and Roberson at 31:46.3.

Sophomore Kyle Baugh (Portage, Ind.) and freshman Griffin Worzella (Martinsville, Ind.) closed out the day for the Trailblazers with Baugh finishing at 31:57.7 and Worzella ending at 32:04.7.

The VU men's team placed sixth out of seven teams, ending with a score of 168.

"On the men's and women's side we are in a much better position coming into this season compared to last year," VU Assistant Cross Country and Track and Field Coach Tyler Steigenga said. "Our top three men were good, but the next five need to be a lot closer. To some extent, everyone got caught up in the race and went out way faster than they should have."

"Leading up to the race, we talked about going out controlled and running their own race," Steigenga added. "Unfortunately, most had to learn the hard way what it feels like to go out too hard in the first mile and still have four to go. It was a good learning experience to better understand what it takes to run an 8k successfully at this level."

"Daisie was great leading the women's team," Steigenga said. "It was incredible to see her back after not racing since last September. Last January, two months after hip surgery, we thought she was going to be done running completely. However, we made getting her healthy a priority during a very gradual return and now she's back and running better than ever. The word, 'proud' only begins to describe the way I feel about her commitment and determination to get back to this level of running."

"Ada also ran a great race," Steigenga added. "Starting out very controlled and passing a lot of runners in the second mile."

The Vincennes Cross Country teams will look to continue to grow and build off of this first meet as VU now prepares for the John McNichols Invite at Lavern Gibson in Terre Haute, Ind. This meet is set for Saturday, Sept. 17.

"Overall, it was a good day. Regardless of how they finished today, everyone is motivated going forward and ready for another opportunity. In two weeks, we'll have another chance to test ourselves on a challenging course at LaVern Gibson," Steigenga said.

WOMEN'S RESULTS

TEAM RESULTS

Marquette – 27

Illinois-Chicago – 41

Eastern Illinois – 54

SIU-Edwardsville – 106

VINCENNES – 154

Kaskaskia – 175

INDIVIDUAL RESULTS

Daisie Kinnett (30) – 20:19.8

Brittany Page (40) – 21:20.5

Ada Peterman (41) – 21:24.0

Hope Laughlin (49) – 22:18.5

Makenna Pruett (56) – 23:46.8

MEN'S RESULTS

TEAM RESULTS

Indiana State – 39

Eastern Illinois – 46

Illinois-Chicago – 48

SIU-Edwardsville – 126

Marquette – 128

VINCENNES – 168

Kaskaskia – 210

INDIVIDUAL RESULTS

Mathew Keitany (33) – 26:58.5

Isaac Stanford (40) – 27:11.7

Ernest Momodu (41) – 27:14.5

Sol O'Blenis (60) – 29:02.7

Ian Boit (64) – 29:38.4

Matthew Gray (65) – 29:40.7

Trenton Faulkner (66) – 29:41.9

Reed Lawless (67) – 29:51.2

TyDarius Clark (71) – 31:02.7

Elijah McCartney (74) – 31:32.4

Connor Roberson (75) – 31:46.3

Kyle Baugh (76) – 31:57.7

Griffin Worzella (78) – 32:04.7