Appalachian State Men Place 11th at NCAA Southeast Regional
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Appalachian State men's cross country placed 11th out of 35 teams at Saturday's Southeast Regional Championship.
William and Mary took home the team title after placing three runners in the top-10. The Tribe easily outdistanced runner-up NC State (99 points), and host Louisville (121 points).
The Mountaineers were led by senior Phil Mitchell, who placed 31st overall. The Glastonbury, Conn. native turned in a time of 31:23 to establish a new personal record
Other top Appalachian finishers include sophomore Sean Soderman, who placed 53rd with a time of 32:02 to set a new personal best as well. Senior Alec Meyer turned in a time of 32:36 to finish 79th, while his classmate Josh Houser finished 89th after posting a personal best time of 32:46.
With the 11th place finish, the Mountaineers posted their highest regional position since a 10th place slot in 2007.
Davidson Men Finish 12th at NCAA Southeast Regional
DAVIDSON, N.C. - Seniors Lance Harden and Tom Divinnie wrapped up stellar careers as they led the Davidson men's cross country team to a 12th-place finish in a 35 team field at the NCAA Southeast Regional Championships on Saturday, hosted by the University of Louisville and Greater Louisville Sports Commission at E.P. Tom Sawyer Park.
Harden completed the 10K course in 31 minutes, 28 seconds, to place 34th overall, a dramatic improvement from his 90th-place finish in the same event last season when the 'Cats managed just a 21st-place finish.
The Wildcats totaled 362 points and finished just two-points behind Southern Conference champion Appalachian State, which took 11th. The 'Cats were ranked 14th in the region entering the meet, but finished ahead of Kentucky and High Point, which were ranked ninth and 12th, respectively.
"It was an outstanding effort by our team today," said Davidson head coach Gary Andrew. "Lance ran an outstanding race, so it was great seeing he and Tom finish strong."
Divinnie placed 58th in 32:11, while sophomore Ryan Hopkins placed 70th in 32:23. Freshman Demetrios Pagonis placed 94th (32:51), while junior Charlie Schmitt (108th, 33:02) rounded out Davidson's top five scoring group. Seniors Thad Sieracki (33:06) and Peter Bruton (33:09) were Davidson's final finishers.
No. 8 William & Mary won the team title for the second-straight year, while Liberty's Sam Chelanga captured his second-straight individual title in 29:32. The race featured four other nationally-ranked teams in No. 16 North Carolina State, No. 19 Virginia, No. 24 Louisville and No. 30 Duke.
The meet concluded one of the best seasons in Davidson men's cross country history. Senior Lance Harden led the 'Cats in each meet this season and guided the squad to a best-ever second place finish at the Southern Conference championships.
Davidson Women Place 17th at NCAA Southeast Regional
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Once again led by freshman Natalie Atabek, the Davidson Wildcat women's cross country team finished in 17th place and first among Southern Conference schools at the NCAA Southeast Regionals, held Saturday morning at the University of Louisville's E.P. Sawyer Park.
Atabek, who paced the Wildcats in every meet during her freshman season, finished 67th overall with a time of 22.17 in the women's 6K race.
Juniors Lauren Childs and Danielle Ruggieri finished 84th and 86th, respectively, with times of 22:31 and 22:32. Classmates Heather Conarroe and Sarah Cline rounded out the scoring group, placing 93rd and 157th with times of 22:41 and 23:30, respectively.
"Natalie ran really well for us once again," head coach Jen Straub said. "But I am extremely proud of how our entire team ran today! We finished 17th in a strong field and turned in the best performance in the Southern Conference today!"
With all five runners in the top 30, the Duke Blue Devils won the regional, amassing just 69 points as a team. ACC foes Virginia (113) and NC State (135) followed, and William & Mary (145) and North Carolina (167) rounded out the top five. James Madison (225), Louisville (234), Kentucky (256), Richmond (309) and Eastern Kentucky (332) completed the top 10.
"It was great for us to finish our season on such a strong note!" Straub said. "We knew what we were capable of doing and today we put it all together!"
After finishing fifth at the 2009 Southern Conference championships two weeks ago, the Davidson Wildcats turned in the top team finish at the Regionals.
Fresh off a runner-up finish at the conference meet, the Elon Phoenix finished 20th overall with 499 points and three top-100 performances. Appalachian State, third at the SoCon championships, finished in 22nd place behind a 16th-place finish by individual conference champion Britney Caudle. Furman, who finished fourth in the league, turned in a 23rd-place team finish.
Samford Women Finish 15th, Men 25th, at NCAA South Regional
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - The Samford University cross country teams rounded out the 2009 season at the NCAA South Regional held Saturday at the Harry Pritchett Running Park in Tuscaloosa, ala. The women finished 15th out of 23 teams while the men came in 25th out of 26 teams.
Ina Ables paced the Samford women finishing 42nd with a time of 21:49.10 on the 6,000-meter course. Hillary Neal and Jessica Van Ausdall finished 73rd and 74th, respectively, while Andrea Seccafien (105th), Lauren D'Alessio (110th) and Cori Christensen (159th) rounded out the Bulldog six.
On the men's side, the Bulldogs were led by Blaise Carie who finished 120th with a time of 34:06.23 on the 10,000-meter course. Scott Cope (139th) finished second for Samford followed by Patrick Ollinger (141st), Sam Shaughnessy (160th) and Will Denton (161st) rounding out the men's field.
In the women's field, No. 3 Florida finished first over No. 9 Florida State by a score of 33-54. Both the Gators and the Seminoles automatically qualify for the NCAA Championships. Tennessee finished third with 102 points and could advance to the NCAA Championship with a wild card berth. Georgia (114) and Vanderbilt (164) rounded out the top five teams in fourth and fifth, respectively.
Auburn finished in sixth over Alabama in seventh while UAB, Jacksonville and Georgia Tech rounded out the top ten. South Florida, Mississippi State and Belmont finished just above Samford while Samford bested conference foe Chattanooga who finished 16th.
No. 6 Alabama took the men's team title for the third consecutive year. The Tide was followed by No. 21 Florida State who took second place by a score of 45-80. Both teams automatically qualify for the NCAA Championships. Auburn finished third with 110 points and could advance to the NCAA Championships on a wild card berth. Georgia (125) and Florida (143) rounded out the top five teams in fourth and fifth, respectively.
Tennessee just beat out South Alabama for sixth place by a score of 178-180 while Kennesaw State, Mississippi State and Belmont round out the top ten for the men.
Auburn's Felix Kibioywo took the individual title on the men's side with a time of 29:35.85 while Rebecca Lowe won the individual title for the women with a time of 20:03.29.
The top 25 individual in each race earned All-South Region honors. The top two teams automatically qualify for the NCAA Championships and the next four individual finishers not on those teams advance as well.
The NCAA Championship will be held in Terre Haute, Ind., on November 23.
UNC Greensboro Men Place 19th, Women 27th, at NCAA Southeast Regional
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Mike Koech continued his impressive sophomore campaign by breaking the school record in the 10k by over 20 seconds to lead UNC Greensboro at the NCAA Southeast Regional Championships in Louisville, Ky.
The men's squad finished in 19th place overall in the team standings. No. 8 William & Mary won the regional for the second-straight season and No. 16 NC State came in second place as a team.
On the women's side, UNCG came home with a 27th place finish. No. 15 Duke won the regional over reigning regional champion, No. 19 Virginia.
Koech's time of 31:39.79 was good enough for a 43rd place finish and shattered the previous school record by 21 seconds. Teammate Joey Thompson also had an impressive day as he crossed the line in 32:17.76 and finished in 65th place. His time was the fifth fastest in school history.
Sherrika Jordan paced the women's team with her time of 22:54.67, which is the eighth-fastest time in school history in the 6k. Freshman Chelsea Sumney was the second Spartan to cross the finish line with a time of 23:20.92.
The Spartans will now prepare for the upcoming indoor track & field season.
Elon Women Finish 20th at NCAA Southeast Regional
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Justin Gianni set a new school record in the 10K with a time of 32:10.93 to finish 59th in a field of 231 runners to lead the Elon men's cross country team to a 20th-place finish in a field of 35 teams at the NCAA Southeast Regional on Saturday morning in Louisville, Ky.
"This was a phenomenal race for the men's team," head coach Christine Engel said. "To have our three top finishers record times under the previous school record is a testament to how well they were able to execute the race plan."
Elon placed above of Southern Conference foes Furman, Western Carolina, College of Charleston and Wofford.
Matt Richardson was Elon's second finisher, coming in 68th with at time of 32:21.15, while Will Schefer placed 95th after recording a time of 32:51.44. The pair are now second and third in the school record books, finishing with times under the previous record.
Clay Sankey crossed the finish line in 33:52.18 to place 150th while Ranley Gousse placed 164th with a time of 34:12.56 to round on the Phoenix's top-five finishers.
David Wells recorded a time of of 34:40.55 to finish 177th while Conor O'Brien finished 184th with at ime of 34:49.94.
Elon Women Place 20th at NCAA Southeast Regional
LOUISVILLE, Ky. -The Elon women's cross country squad placed 20th in a field of 35 teams at the NCAA Southeast Regional at E.P. "Tom Sawyer" State Park in Louisville. Elon finished ahead of Southern Conference foes Appalachian State, Furman, UNC Greensboro, Western Carolina and Wofford.
Emily Fournier led the Phoenix with a 73rd place finish in a field of 237 runners. She posted a time of 22:22.38 on the 6K course. Teammate Caitlin Beeler finished just behind Fournier in the 78th spot with a time of 22:27.52 while Allyson Costa finished 99th with a time of 22:44.97.
Sullivan Parkes finished 125th after posting a time of 23:07.25 while fellow freshman Jacqueline Alnes placed 136th with a 23:13.11 time to round out Elon's top-five finishers.
Morgan Denecke posted a time of 23:24.85 for a 152nd finish and Lauren Fredrickson placed 160th after recording a time of 23:32.07 for the Phoenix.
Furman Men, Women, Finish 23rd at NCAA Southeast Regional
LOUISVILLE, KY - Both the Furman women's and men's cross country teams placed 23rd Saturday at the NCAA Southeast Regional Championships in Louisville, Ky. Sophomore Chloe Kowalski placed 42nd to lead the women's team, posting a time of 21:44.42 on the 6K course, while junior Charles McGoogan took 49th place in the men's 10K race, completing the course in 31:51.76.
Junior Jenna Callahan ran the course in 23:03.48 to place 118th, while senior Brittany Johnson placed 125th for the Paladins with a time of 23:08.66. Sophomore Hannah Morgan had a time of 23:10.14 for 128th place, and freshman Emily Wirzba rounded out the Paladin scorers with a 138th place finish and a time of 23:13.42.
Sophomore Lee Gilmer placed 90th in the men's race with a time of 32:47.09, while sophomore Chris Caldwell was 126th, recording a time of 33:25.80. Freshman Wilkerson Given posted a time of 33:57.07 for 151st place, and sophomore John Miller completed the Paladin scorers, placing 156th with a time of 34:04.00.
Western Carolina Men Place 26th, Women 28th, at NCAA Southeast Regional
Louisville, Ky. - The Western Carolina men and women's cross country teams wrapped up the 2009 season at the NCAA South Regional Championships in Louisville, Ky., on Saturday morning.
The men placed 26th in the 10K and the women 28th in the 6K at E.P. Tom Sawyer State Park.
Sophomore Josey Weaver (77th place) led the Catamounts with a time of 32:35.80 in the 10K. Freshman Nolan Clark finished with a time of 32.57.16 (102nd) and senior Stephen Hammond (33:09.07, 118th) rounded out the top three for WCU.
Drew Tucker (35.08.59, 193rd), Jake Clawson (35:10.34, 194th), Garrett West (35.48.89, 202nd) and Jake Swimmer (36:28.08, 212th) rounded out the field for Western Carolina.
William & Mary captured the men's NCAA South Regional title with 49 points for an average of 30:24.37. WCU finished with an average time of 33:48.20.
Freshman Mara Smith (124th) finished as the leader for the Catamounts with a time of 23:06.50 in the 6K. Senior Lindsay Groce (23:10.96, 134th), freshman Morgan Turner (23:33.86, 163rd) and junior Jordan Gaddy (23:38.50, 169th) rounded the next three for Western Carolina.
Leslie Raymond (23:55.69, 183rd), Adrian Cooke (24.14.39, 189th) and Olivia Jacobs (24:43.34, 206th) wrapped up the meet for the Catamounts.
Western Carolina finished 28th with an average time of 23:28.99. ACC foe Duke took home the women's team title with 69 points for an average of 20:55.19.
Saturday's meet concludes the 2009 season for both the men and women's cross country teams. The 2009 Indoor Track and Field season will begin on December 5.
College of Charleston Men Finish 28th at NCAA Southeast Regional
LOUISVILLE, Ken. - College of Charleston's Trevor Sprague (Dunwoody, Ga./St. Pius X Catholic) and Christian Bailey (Charlotte, N.C./Ardrey Kell) each recorded top-10 times in school history at the NCAA Southeast Regional Meet on Saturday morning.
CofC was one of 35 teams to participate in the regional meet at the E.P. Tom Sawyer State Park on the University of Louisville campus. Sprague finished first among the Cougars, finishing the 10k race in 32:35.08. His time ranks him third on the Charleston all-time list.
Bailey posted a time of 33:24.63 to place second on the team. His time puts him sixth on the all-time list.
The Cougars finished 28th as a team with a total of 726 points. The squad finished ahead of Southern Conference foe Wofford, who placed 29th with 793 points and crosstown rival Charleston Southern, who recorded a 33rd-place team finish.
Wofford Men Place 29th, Women 34th, at NCAA Southeast Regional
SPARTANBURG, S.C. - The Wofford men's and women's cross country teams completed the 2009 season at the NCAA Southeast Regional, hosted by the University of Louisville on Saturday.
The teams finished the season strong, with both men's and women's school and freshman records being broken in their respective races.
On the men's side, freshman Trey Parker demolished the previous Wofford record by more than two minutes, pacing the Terriers with a time of 32:17.14 on the 10K course and placing 64th individually. The other two Terriers who have previously competed in a 10K race set career records. Sophomore Bryan Brooks bettered his time by almost a minute, finishing at 33:38.31 to place 140th individually and fellow sophomore Mavrick Harris also ran the race in a career best time of 35:56.25.
The Terrier men came in 29th as a team, finishing ahead of in-state rivals Winthrop and Charleston Southern as well as nearby UNC-Asheville.
For the women, freshman Shelby Harris established a new school and freshman record, running the 6K course in a time of 23:43.34. Harris beat the previous Wofford record by 15 seconds and finished 173rd individually to pace the Terriers.
Fellow freshmen Andrea Kelsey and Kim Stauffer finished second and third for the Terriers, with times of 24:37.26 and 25:28.30, respectively. Sophomore Caroline Burdette recorded a personal best time of 26:36.94 in the race. The women finished 34th as a team.
Photo Credit: Appalachian State
