Spartanburg, S.C.? The Southern Conference fall championships season kicks off this weekend with the 2006 Men’s and Women’s Cross Country Championships in Chattanooga, Tenn., on Saturday, October 28. Both meets will take place at Moccasin Bend beginning at 10:00 a.m. with the women’s 5,000-meter race, followed by the men’s 8,000-meter race at 10:45 a.m.
The Appalachian State men’s team ran away with the 2005 championship team title finishing with 34 points. The Mountaineers were led by senior Adam VanNortwick who placed second in the 2005 championship race with a time of 25:45. VanNortwick was followed by four teammates who placed in the top ten beating out Chattanooga who finished second with 67 points. The Mocs were led by 2005 individual title winner Ian Mayne who finished with a time of 24:37.
Appalachian State, Chattanooga, and UNC Greensboro control the top of this season’s conference rankings with three runners each listed in the top 10. Appalachian State currently holds the number one spot with freshman Phillip Mitchell with a time of 24:51. The Mountaineers have two other runners that rank in the top 10 including senior Brendon Helms (25:23) and sophomore Ryan O’Keefe (25:23). Chattanooga junior Tim Clark (25:15), UNC Greensboro junior Xavier Rutz (25:17), Davidson sophomore Lance Harden (25:20) and Chattanooga junior Michael Mentz (25:22) round out the top five.
Appalachian State’s men’s team leads the conference with nine titles, including one shared title with ETSU in 1989. Chattanooga has won four with Furman holding three titles.
Davidson’s women’s team claimed the 2005 title defeating then-defending champion Chattanooga by one point to finish with 46 total points. The Wildcats placed three runners in the top 10, including second and third place finishes by sophomore Brenna Burns (17:48) and senior Allie Martin (18:01). The Lady Mocs were led by senior and individual champion Shannon Wommack who finished with a time of 16:53 and was named the 2005-06 Southern Conference Female Athlete of the Year.
Appalachian State and Chattanooga currently have three runners ranked in the top 10 in the conference. Chattanooga controls the top spot with senior Lanni Marchant (17:33). Juniors Sabrina Lefort (18:13) and Nettie Halcomb (18:22) finish out the top ten for the Lady Mocs. Appalachian State controls three of the top five spots, senior Jenna Wrieden (17:54) at the second spot, senior Kasey Smith (18:19) and junior Meg Gaffney (18:20) are fourth and fifth, respectively. Davidson has two runners, Brenna Burns (18:23) and Caroline Sanker (18:28), ranked in the top 10, while Elon’s Anna Mae Flynn (18:30) and College of Charleston’s Katie Hedley (18:37) round out the list.
Among current Southern Conference schools, Appalachian State has nine women’s team titles, including seven straight from 1986-92. Furman and Chattanooga follow the Mountaineers with four each, while defending champion Davidson has two.
Moccasin Bend is located on Moccasin Bend Road; in Chattanooga, Tenn. Admission to the event is free to the public.