MARTIN, Tenn. - Southeast Missouri men's country team takes first at the UT Martin XC OVC Preview as the women take fourth. Three Redhawks in the men's race placed in the top eight and Nova Ojutkangas took first on the women's side once again.

The men placed first with a total score of 43 points and four new personal records, Southern Indiana placed second (47), and UT Martin third (64).

The women finished in fourth place with a team score of 89 falling behind Murray State (82), Tennessee Tech (49), and Southern Indiana (34). 

Champion
Ojutkangas continued her dominance and placed first in the women's 6000-meter race. Ojutkangas crossed the finish line at 21:17.5 which was 27.2 seconds faster than the second place athlete. 

Men's 8k 
Nick Cimmarusti and Noah Little led the way for the men's team with times of 24:23.2 (New PR) and 24:31.8 for second and third.

The rest of the scorers include Garrett Dumke in seventh with a time of 24:57.1, Myles Thornburg in 16th (25:49.0) with a new personal best, and Cade McCadams in 18th with a finishing time of 25:53.7.

Evan Fuller, Justin Splitt, and Sam Rinehart ran the 8k race in 20th (25:58.7), 25th (26:10.5), and 64th (26:12.7).

Micah Grawer and Cole Reinders crossed the line just nine seconds apart in 30th and 32nd with 8k times of 26:18.1 (New PR) and 26:27.3.

With times of 26:39.9 (New PR), 26:43.0, and 26:44.4, Louis Primeau, Clayton Eftink, and Jacob Blassingame placed 39th, 40th, and 41st.

Byron Sowerby and Tyler Anderson placed back-to-back. Sowerby recorded a 48th place finish with a time of 27:06.2 and Anderson finished in 49th place (27:08.0). 

Trey Mygatt finishes with a time of 28:02.5 placing 60th. 

Women's 6k
Freshmen Laruen Eftink and Cordelia Hoover took 19th and 22nd overall. Eftink crossed the line at 22:58.3 and Hoover crossed the line in 23:09.7. 

The other three scorers for the Redhawk women are Madalyn Gray and Erika Mellor, and Brooklyn Bender. Gray finished with a time of 23:15.6 placing 23rd, Mellor finished in 23:18.2 which was fast enough for a new personal best (24th), and Bender finished in 23.39.3 placing 28th. 

Mattea Pearsall finished the women's 6k race within two seconds of Bender. Pearsall records a time of 23:41.1 (30th)

Kayla Vogelsang placed 35th with a time of 23:49.8, Layla Fleige finished in 36th with a time of 23:51.1, and Alayna Spar in 23:56.7 placing 37th.

Haley Smith crosses the finish line and posts a time of 24:56.6 and places 48th.

Looking Ahead
Semo Cross Country will be back in action in two weeks to compete in the Gans Creek Invitational in Columbia, Mo. The meet will be on Friday, September 27 at 9:00 a.m., CT.