Complete Results

MADISON, Wis. – The No. 20 Eastern Kentucky University men’s cross country team continued to make a case for a higher national ranking on Friday, as the Colonels finished ninth out of 45 teams at the talent-laden Wisconsin Adidas Invitational and defeated numerous teams ranked ahead of them in the most recent U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) national poll.

Twenty of the top-30 teams in the country competed at Friday’s event, and EKU defeated 12 of them, including three of the top-10 teams in the country: host Wisconsin (No. 1), Portland (No. 6) and Syracuse (No. 10).

The Colonels also finished ahead of such ranked teams as UCLA (No. 27), Northern Arizona (No. 18), Princeton (No. 11), Indiana (No. 26), Georgia (No. 24), Minnesota (No. 16), Notre Dame (No. 13), Virginia (No. 29) and Missouri (No. 30).

No. 8 Stanford won the meet with 135 points, edging No. 5 Iona (145 points) by just 10 points.

Sophomore Ben Toroitich led the way for EKU, finishing 10th out of 316 competitors and covering the 8K course in a time of 23:35. Junior Soufiane Bouchikhi was not far behind in 13th place in a time of 23:39.

Junior Wade Meddles (97th / 24:16) and sophomores Thijs Nijhuis (121st / 24:24) and Ole Hesselbjerg (138th / 24:27) rounded out EKU’s top-five at the meet.

Junior Yosi Goasdoue (174th / 24:36) and junior Erwin Leysen (DNF) also competed for the Colonels on Friday.

EKU returns to action on Saturday, October 27 at the OVC Championships in Jacksonville, Ala.