Indiana State edged pre-race favorite Southern Illinois, 32-33, to claim the men's team championship at the 2009 State Farm MVC Cross Country Championship at the Newman Golf Course in Peoria, Ill.  The top five Sycamores and Salukis were among the first 11 finishers, but it was race winner Scott Krapf of Illinois State who made the difference in the team championship after he pulled away from a three-man, pace-setting pack to win by 17 seconds over SIU's Jeff Schirmer. 

Terry Phillips of Missouri State took top honors on the women's side with an eight second win over Bradley's Nicole Benson, but it was pre-race favorite Wichita State that would claim its fifth-straight women's team title comfortably with three top-10 finishers and all five in the first 17 across the line.

In the men's 8k, Krapf along with Southern Illinois' Schirmer and Mohamed Mohamed - both former MVC cross country winners - took the early lead on the field and ran as a group over the majority of the race. 

Those three would claim the top three positions in the end, but it was a late push from the Indiana State team to claim spots four through seven and 10^th, which would ultimately be the difference in the team chase and the first for the Sycamores since 2006 and sixth overall. 

SIU got a second and third from Schirmer and Mohamed, along with eighth, ninth and 11^th place finishes to finish with 33 points, one off the Indiana State total. 

Illinois State's men took third (74) with UNI (120) and Bradley (142) rounding out the top five.

In the women's 5k, Phillips proved to be the class of the field on a soggy track and looked strong throughout, en route to an eight-second win over Bradley's Benson.  This marks the second straight year a Missouri State runner has claimed in the individual championship after the Bears' Pasca Cheruiyot won in 2008.

Wichita State's Tonya Nero and Irene Kosgei crossed in third and fourth and Leah Thompson was sixth as the Shockers won for a fifth-consecutive year.  The win is the 10^th MVC title for Wichita State in women's cross country.

The women's race was a balanced affair with six schools placing at least one runner in the top 10 finishers.  Only Wichita State, Illinois State (2) and Bradley (2) place more than one runner in the top 10. 

Illinois State was the women's runner-up (86) and host Bradley finished in third (93).  Indiana State (96) was fourth and Missouri State claimed fifth (101).

Fans can see interviews with the race winners and victorious head coaches on the MVC's Facebook page (www.facebook.com/MissouriValleyConference).

Men's Athlete of the Year: Scott Krapf, Illinois State

Women's Athlete of the Year: Terry Phillips, Missouri State

Men's Coach of the Year: John McNichols, Indiana State

Women's Coach of the Year: Marc Burns, Wichita State

The Men's 8K course consists of two 2,000m loops. The first 2,000m loop (Start - 2K) is mostly flat and the second 2,000m loop (2K - 8K) is rolling hills and repeated for three laps. 

The Women's 5K course consists of one 2,000m loop, followed by one 1,000m, and concludes with a 2,000m loop. The first 2,000m loop (Start - 2K) is mostly flat and nearly identical to the Men's opening loop (the exception is a very short addition to the north end of NGC). The second 1,000m loop (2K - 3K) is rolling and is the 3K-4K of the Men's Course. The final 2,000m loop (3K - 5K) is rolling hills and is the same for each race.

Newman Golf Course
2021 West Nebraska Avenue (Corner of Sterling Ave. & Nebraska Ave.), Peoria, IL 61604

From the east: I-74 exit #91 (University Street) turn right - North and then make an immediate left onto Nebraska Avenue. Newman Golf Course will be 1 mile ahead on your right.  From the west: I-74 exit #88 (Sterling Avenue) turn right - South. Newman Golf Course will be 2 miles ahead on your left.