All-Ohio Intercollegiate Cross Country Championships

( Delaware, OH, 10-10-08, By Matt McGowan/RUNOHIO )Nearly perfect October weather greeted the runners in the All-Ohio Intercollegiate Cross Country Championships at the Methodist Theological School in Delaware.The meet hosted by Ohio Wesleyan University is perhaps the most unique collegiate cross-country race in the country as most of the Ohio colleges and universities were on hand for the 54th annual men's race and the 29th annual women's race.

The men ran first this year and twenty-three runners hit the first mile under five minutes and then twenty-seven runners hit the two mile under ten minutes. A pack of nearly ten was still within a few seconds of each other at the three mile mark. Malone University’s senior Nik Schweikert, who finished 7 seconds out of first place last year pulled away just before the four mile mark to win individual honors in 25:18. University of Dayton’s junior Mike Andersen who placed second in 2006 and was red shirted last year repeated as the runner up finisher in 25:33. University of Dayton’s sophomore Chris Lemon (25:42) held off Malone’s sophomore James Zeuch (25:44), Ohio State University’s sophomore Skyler Schmitt (25:46) and Case Western Reserve’s senior Domini Smith (25:47) for the bronze. Shawnee State’s junior Keegan Rathkamp (25:49), Malone’s sophomore Aaron Melhorn (25:51), Denison University’s freshman Makorobondo Salukumbo (25:53) and Cincinnati’s junior Tommy Morgan (25:54) rounded out the top ten.

Malone University on the strength of three runners in the top eight defended their team title with 68 points. Cincinnati scored 84 point to repeat as the team runner up. Ohio State rested a few of their top runners placed third with 101 points. Kent State placed fourth with 121 points while Ohio University was fifth with 185 points. Forty two men teams competed.

Malone College won the NAIA National Cross Country Championships in 2007 easily won the NAIA/Division II All Ohio with 19 points. Ashland University placed second among the thirteen teams in this division with 66 points. Shawnee State finished third with 98 points.

Case Western Reserve took home the Division III team crown with 52 points. Mount Union captured the runner up tem honor with 87 points edging Ohio Northern University which scored 93 points. Denison University scored 104 points to placed fourth out of the twenty teams in this division.

Forty one women teams toed the starting line. Twenty-one women hit the first mile in 5:45 or faster in this 5km event. Ohio University’s junior Kari Summers and University of Cincinnati’s sophomore Lilian Jelimo pulled away from the pack as Jelimo hit the two mile mark in 11:02 with Summers five sends back. Jelimo who placed third last year continued to pull away and hit the finish line in 17:45. Summers (18:01) held on for runner up honors edging junior teammate Annie Beechman (18:07). Findlay’s freshman Hilary Esselstein (18:10) nipped Bowling Green’s senior Kara Butler (18:11) and Cedarville senior Nicole Santos (18:12) for fourth. Akron’s Junior Larisa Arcip (18:17), Cedarville’s junior Lydia Wong (18:29), Oberlin’s sophomore Joanna Johnson (18:31) and Dayton’s Maura Bulgrin (18:35) rounded out the top ten.

The Cedarville women which placed second in last year’s NAIA National Cross Country Championships returned five the their top six runners to win the overall women’s title for the first time at the All Ohio with 74 points. Cincinnati took home runner up honors with 96 points. Bowling Green scored 128 points to edged Ohio University (132) to capture third. University of Dayton finished fifth with 152 points. Last year’s team winner Miami University did not run.

In the NAIA/Division II scoring Cedarville easily won with 24 points. Malone took home runner up with 49 points while Findlay placed third with 74 points. Eleven teams competed in this division.

Case Western Reserve took home the women’s Division III team title with 35 points.

Kenyon scored 121 points to nip Ohio Northern by two points for runner up honors.

Oberlin placed fourth out of the nineteen teams in this division.

Complete race results are listed on the RUNOHIO Results section - http://www.runohio.com/results

Photos from the races are on the RUNOHIO Galleries section - http://www.runohio.com/show/galleries