Lees-McRae Women & Queens Men Take NCAA Regional Cross Country Titles; Four Conference Individuals Also Qualify for Nationals!
(Stories curtesy of regional host Wingate University - Men's story below women's)
Women's Cross Country
Wingate, N.C.----The Lees-McRae women's cross team placed three
runners in the top 12 to take home the title at the 2008 NCAA
Regional Southeast Regional Meet Saturday morning on the Wingate
campus.
Lees-McRae won the race with 85 points, defeating Augusta State who
finished second with 110 points. Both teams will advance to the
NCAA Championship on November 22 at Coopers Lake Campground
Slippery Rock, Pa.
Lenoir-Rhyne finished third with 158 points, followed by Columbus
State with 177 points and Georgia College & State University in
fifth with 194 points.
Individually, Allison Kreutzer of Clayton State won the title with
a time of 22:24. The top five individuals who are not on an
advancing team will go on to the NCAA Championships. Kreutzer will
be joined by second place finisher Aubrey Morris of Carson-Newman,
third place finisher Whitney Bishoff of Anderson (S.C.), fourth
place finisher Alyson Trovato of St. Andrews and fifth place
finisher Jessica Neville of Queens (N.C.).
The Bobcats were led by Carla Stewart, who finished fifth with a
time of 23:54. Kira Shoemaker and Gina Valenti finished 13th and
14th, respectively. Augusta State was led by Jenafer Forward, who
was seventh with a time of 24:11. Savannah Sutton of Augusta State
was 16th while teammate Kara Kreutzer finished 20th.
The host Bulldogs finished eighth in the event with 251 points.
Senior Ashley Condrey led the way with a time of 25:27 to finish
31st. Fellow senior Ashley Hubbard was 38th with a time of
25:40.
All Region Team
1. Allison Kreutzer, Clayton State 22:24
2. Aubrey Morris, Carson-Newman 23:03
3. Whitney Bishoff, Anderson (S.C.) 23:15
4. Alyson Trovato, St. Andrews 23:29
5. Jessica Neville, Queens (N.C.) 23:35
6. Carla Swart, Lees-McRae 23:54
7. Jenafer Forward, Augusta State 24:11
8. Kandace Smith, Columbus State 24:25
9. Kate Griewish, Lenoir-Rhyne 24:29
10. Alycia Andrade, Brevard 24:30
11. Kelly May, Francis Marion 24:33
12. Olivia Jacobs, Catawba 24:39
13. Kira Shoemaker, Lees-McRae 24:39
14.Gina Valenti, Lees-McRae 24:45
15. Andrea Whitaker, Colubus State 24:47
Team Results:
1. Lees-McRae, 85 points
2. Augusta State, 110 points
3. Lenoir-Rhyne, 158 points
4. Columbus State, 177 points
5. Georgia College & State, 194 points
6. Converse, 217 points
7. North Georgia, 236 points
8. Wingate, 251 points
9. Carson-Newman, 255 points
10. Queens (N.C.), 278 points
11. Catawba, 284 points
12. St. Andrews, 308 points
13. Coker, 334 points
14. Anderson (S.C.) 336 points
15. Limestone, 340 points
16. USC Aiken, 349 points
17. Mars Hill, 371 points
18. Erskine, 413 points
19. Pfeiffer, 437 points
20. Francis Marion, 464 points
21. Newberry, 548 points
22. Belmont Abbey, 591 point
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Men's Cross Country
Wingate, N.C.-Royals' junior Oscar Ogwaro led No. 7 nationally
ranked Queens University of Charlotte to the team title at the 2008
NCAA Division II Southeast Regional hosted by Wingate University on
Saturday morning at the Wingate Cross Country Course by winning the
individual title.
Queens successfully defended its Southeast Region Championship
title by placing its five scoring harriers in the top seven of the
field. The Royals posted a nearly perfect score of 19 points.
Columbus State University, the 2008 Peach Belt Conference
Champions, finished second with 87 points. The Royals and Cougars
both qualify for the NCAA Division II Country National
Championships hosted by Slippery Rock University on Saturday,
November 22.
Wingate University's Jayce Watson and St. Andrews Presbyterian
College's Mitch Cooper both qualified for the National
Championships as individuals in their senior seasons by finishing
fourth and fifth, respectively.
Ogwaro won the 10k race with a dominating time of 30:54. The Royals
swept the top three spots with sophomore Michael Crouch taking
second in 31:07 and junior Futsum Mebrahtu placing third at
32:05.
Watson spoiled the Royals attempt at a perfect score by claiming
fourth place honors in front of his home crowd. Watson blazed the
course in 32:13 to earn his third consecutive trip to Nationals.
Cooper followed in fifth place finishing the endurance race in
32:27, earning his second straight bid to Nationals. Cooper, the
2008 Conference Carolinas Runner of the Year, will become the first
runner in the conference to race in the D-II Nationals in all four
years of his eligibility.
Clayton State University grabbed third place team honors with 107
points while a trio of teams battled out the next three spots
finishing within five points of each other. South Atlantic
Conference Champions Mars Hill led the way in fourth with 140
points followed by Lees-McRae College (143) and St. Andrews (145).
Host Wingate was next in seventh place with 165 points. Erskine
College (198), Georgia College & State University (259), and
Lenoir-Rhyne University (305) rounded out the top-10 in the 20 team
field.
Queens' junior Matthew Rowell (32:41) and senior Ryan Connelly
(32:55) crossed the finish line in sixth and seventh place,
respectively, to conclude the Royals impressive scoring. Columbus
State junior David Marley (33:04) crossed the finish line in
eighth; Tusculum College sophomore Simon Holzapfel (33:17) grabbed
ninth; and Francis Marion University junior Hillary Kiprop (33:24)
rounded out the top-10 in 10th place.
The top-15 individuals (out of the 140 harriers) earned All-Region
honors. Three Clayton State runners earned All-Region accolades
including Anthony Aquilar (33:25/11th) and sophomores Joey Chino
(33:29/12th) and Walid Berkhedle (33:35/14th). Erskine junior Adam
Groblewski (33:29/13th) and Columbus State's senior Roger Hagues
(33:36/15th) also earned All-Region credit.
The men's 10k race at the NCAA Division II National Championships
is scheduled to start at 12 Noon on Saturday, November 22 at the
Cooper's Lake Campground in Slippery Rock, Pa.
Men's Team Results (10K)
1.Queens
2. Columbus State
3. Clayton State
4. Mars Hill
5. Lees-McRae
6. St. Andrews
7. Wingate
8. Erskine
9. Georgia College & State
10. Lenoir-Rhyne
11. Lincoln Memorial
12. North Georgia
13. Carson-Newman
14. Coker
15. Francis Marion
16. Anderson
17. UNC-Pembroke
18. Pfeiffer
19. Limestone
20. Belmont Abbey
