Eagles gearing up for OVC Championship run

EVANSVILLE, Ind.—University of Southern Indiana Men’s and Women’s Cross Country have their sights set on a new price this Saturday when the Screaming Eagles compete for the first time at the Ohio Valley Conference Cross Country Championships in Cookeville, Tennessee.
 
The women’s six-kilometer race begins at 10 a.m., while the men’s 8K is scheduled for 11 a.m.
 
USI is expected to be one of the top contenders to dethrone two-time defending OVC champion Eastern Illinois University Saturday but will need a complete team effort to do so. In two previous encounters this season, the Panthers have scored wins over the Eagles, using wide gaps at the No. 3 and No. 5 positions to distance themselves from USI in each race.
 
Senior Noah Hufnagel (Santa Claus, Indiana) and EIU’s Dustin Hatfield will be the leading contenders to capture the individual crowns, while junior Mitchell Hopf (Santa Claus, Indiana) also could challenge for a top-five finish.
 
USI’s men are looking to continue the success they had as members of the Great Lakes Valley Conference in Division II. The Eagles captured a record 27 GLVC titles during their 43 years in Division II, including a GLVC-best 15 straight from 2005-19.
 
The women’s squad, who also dominated the GLVC, are trying to make history Saturday by becoming the first program in school history to capture a Division I conference title. The Eagles won the GLVC title for a record 14th time in 2021 and left the GLVC having won 11 conference championships in 14 years, including seven straight from 2011-17.
 
USI’s women figure to be among the favorites to win the conference championship Saturday as it has gone undefeated against OVC competition in each of the major races it has competed in this season.
 
Belmont University, now in the Missouri Valley Conference, won the OVC title in 2021, while this year’s host, Tennessee Tech University, and Eastern Illinois finished second and third, respectively. USI has posted narrow victories over both schools this season, while the Eagles turned out a 53-point win over EIU at the Bradley “Pink” Classic two weeks ago.
 
Juniors Lauren Greiwe (West Harrison, Indiana) and McKenna Cavanaugh (New Albany, Indiana) also could be among the favorites to win the individual conference title after both earned OVC Runner of the Week accolades throughout the season.
 
Saturday’s races will take place at the Putnam County Sports Complex in Cookeville, Tennessee. Live results can be accessed at USIScreamingEagles.com or at OVCsports.com.