November 20, 2011

Queens & Mount Olive Complete Seasons at Men's Cross Country National Championships

-stories courtesy of Mount Olive & Queens Sports Information

SPOKANE, Wash. – The Queens University of Charlotte Men’s Cross Country Team raced to an 18^th place finish at the 2011 NCAA Cross Country Championships today with a score of 432 in a light snow storm. Western State took the title with a score of 27. Adams State scored a 69 for second place, while Grand Valley State took third with a score of 100. 24 total teams competed in today’s race.

Felix Duchampt (Clermont Ferrand, France, Lycée Jeanne d'Arc ) turned in a time of 32:19.8 to finish in 48^th individually. Chris Enriquez (Downey, Calif., Warren) (33:00.0) was 75^th, while Simon Stuetzel (Meinborn, Germany) (33:22.9) took 93rd. Anthony Mallory (Merced, Calif., Golden Valley Merced ) and Benny Perez (Ceres, Calif., Ceres ) completed Queens’ scoring clocking in at 33:49.1 and 35:00.5, respectively.

Ryan Haebe of Western State became the first individual national champion for the Mountaineers since 2001, and only the second student-athlete in Western State history to win a men's cross country national championship. Michael Aish won national titles in 1999 and 2001.

The Mountaineers finished with all five scoring runners in the top 13 of the overall results and top 12 of the scoring runners. After Haebe and Tyler Pennel, David Goodman placed fifth in 31:05.1, Gabe Proctor in seventh in 31:11.7 and Trevor Blackman rounded out the scorers by checking in at 13th place with a time of 31:36.8. No other team had more than three runners in the top 20. Western State finished with six All-Americans after Adam Sinda placed No. 30 overall.

Men’s Cross Country Finishes 22nd In National Championships

November 19, 2011

Mount Olive braved the elements to challenge for their first NCAA Division II Men's Cross Country National Championship Saturday afternoon. Despite a snowstorm, the Trojans turned in a 22nd-place finish at the Plantes Ferry Athletic Complex in Spokane, Wash.

Mount Olive was also represented in the 2011 NCAA Division II Women's Cross Country Championship as Chelsea Long finished in the top half of the field. (Click HERE for story.)

The Trojans posted a total of 678 points. Twenty-four schools and 187 runners took part in the event.

Leading the way for Mount Olive was junior Ronnie Sturgill. The Pink Hill, N.C. native completed the 10-kilometer course in 33:54.6, good enough for 112th place. His teammates followed close behind. All six runners for Mount Olive finished less than three minutes apart.

Senior Paul Hoffman, from Lakeview, N.Y., finished in 34:14.4 for 123rd place; followed by senior Kerry Maloney (34:49.0) in 139th; sophomore Erasmo Ordonez (145th) in 35:01.5; sophomore Dalton Souza (35:50.2) in 159th; senior Chris Menjares (36:32.4) in 164th; and Jamar Davis (166th) in 36:44.9.

Western State swept the men's championship. Ryan Haebe (30:45.1) and Tyler Pennel (30:48.1) finished as the top two individual spots, while Western State's total of 27 points easily outdistanced runner-up Adams State, the defending champion.

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