Terrier cross country continues to improve with performance in Winthrop/asics Invitational
The Wofford cross country teams competed in the Winthrop/Asics Invitational in Rock Hill, S.C., Saturday, Sept. 16. The men’s team earned a 7th place finish while the women finished 8th.
“Today was more of a team training run to prepare for next weekend at the Great American Cross Country Festival (in Hoover, Ala.),” head coach Andrea Stehman said.
The meet was a paced meet, which means that runners were to run in groups of four and two. But despite the stipulations, the Terriers showed great improvement from their first meet.
“Even though this was a pacing run and we were supposed to take it easy, all of our runners ran much better than last weekend (at the Eye Opener in Spartanburg, S.C.),” Stehman said.
Freshman Bryan Brooks led the men’s team with a time of 28:52 and a pace time of 5:49. He finished 44th out of the 63-man “gold division.”
Justin Hunter finished five places behind Brooks at 29:28 and with a pace time of 5:56.
For the women, Lauren Bosshardt led the Terrier pack with a time of 20:51.
Sarah Whitener had a career-best time of 22:16.
The Terrier cross country team will compete in the Great American Cross Country Festival in Hoover, Ala., next Saturday at 8 a.m.
Western Carolina holds the WCU Open
Cullowhee, N.C. - The Appalachian State men's cross country team had five runners finish among the top 11, edging Georgia, who had five in the top 13, 30-34 Friday afternoon at the 2006 WCU Open, held on Western's campus. While unattached Brenden O'Keefe won the men's race, it was App State's Phil Mitchell who led the way for the collegians, finishing the course in 19:34. On the women's side, App State and Georgia each had five runners place in the top 10, but it was Georgia who held off the Mountaineers, 19-36. Host team Western Carolina finished sixth on the women's side and seventh in the men's race.
Appalachian Men Take Team Title at Western Carolina Open; Women Place Second
by Appalachian Sports Information
September 15, 2006 - CULLOWHEE, N.C. - The Appalachian State University’s men’s and women’s cross country teams, led by Phil Mitchell (Glastonbury, Conn.) and Kasey Smith (Walnut Cove, N.C., took first and second place, respectively at the Western Carolina Open on Friday, September 15.
The ASU men claimed victory with a team score of 30 points, with four athletes placing in the top 10. Leading the Mountaineers to victory was Iona transfer Mitchell who completed the 6,210m course (nearly four miles) in 19:34. Following Mitchell, Ryan O’Keefe (Prospect Harbor, Maine) placed fifth (19:53), Nathan Hernandez-Adams (Fayetville, N.C.) came in sixth (19:54), Brendon Helms (Matthews, N.C.) placed seventh (19:57), and Alec Meyer (Stafford, Va.) rounded out the five scorers in 11th (20:02).
In conference competition, the Mountaineers defeated meet-host Western Carolina University by a team score of 15-65. WCU finished seventh overall in the meet.
In the women’s competition, ASU finished second only to a very strong Georgia team, who was ranked in the top-30 nationally last season. Appalachian finished with a team score of 36 points and had five athletes in the top 10. Smith led the Mountaineers on the 4,000m course with a fourth-place finish, crossing the line in 14:23. Following Smith, Jenna Wrieden (Glendale, Ariz.) placed fifth (14:42), Meghan Gaffney (Pompton Lakes, N.J.) came in eighth (14:49), Hannah Parks (Kernersville, N.C.) finished ninth (14:59), and Anna Baker (Hatboro, Pa.) rounded out the scorers for ASU with a 10th-place finish (14:59).
In conference competition, the ASU women defeated Western Carolina by a score of 15-30. The defeat of WCU by both the men’s and women’s squads means that the Brown Mountain Jugs will return to Boone for at least one more year.
“We are very excited to compete well against a strong SEC school such as UGA," ASU head coach Mike Curcio said. "Our performance gives us a good indication that we are on the right track.”
Both men and women will return to action on September 22 at 5 p.m. to compete at the Lenoir Rhyne Open before traveling to Bethlehem , Pennsylvania, on September 29, where the Mountaineers will compete against a strong national field at the Paul Short Run.
Full Results:
Men
1. Appalachian State 1, 5, 6, 7, 11 30
2. Georgia 2, 3, 4, 12, 13 34
3. ETSU 10, 17, 20, 22, 24 93
4. Gardner-Webb 9, 18, 21, 27, 38 113
5. UNC Asheville 8, 25, 29, 32, 40 134
6. Milligan 23, 28, 30, 33, 37 151
7. Western Carolina 26, 31, 34, 35, 36 162
Women
1. Georgia 1, 2, 3, 6, 7 19
2. Appalachian State 4, 5, 8, 9, 10 36
3. Milligan 12, 16, 17, 18, 20 83
4. Gardner-Webb 11, 14, 19, 25, 27 96
5. UNC Asheville 13, 21, 22, 23, 26 105
6. Western Carolina 15, 24, 28, 29, 30 126
Marchant Wins Second Race; Team Finishes Third
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. ?- Senior Lanni Marchant took her second individual title of the season as she finished in a time of 18:05 on the 5,000 meter cross country course in the 84-runner field, at the UTK Invitational Friday evening.
The Chattanooga women’s cross country team finished third overall with a team score of 81 falling behind the host Tennessee and Georgia Tech. Junior Nettie Halcomb had the Lady Mocs’ next best finish picking up the sixth place spot. Sophomore Sabrina Lefort finished 15th.
The other two runners rounding out the Chattanooga top five were sophomore Katie Williams and freshman Shelly Taylor.
On the men’s side, Chattanooga did not enter the team to compete, however four runners still competed individually.
Senior Michael Mentz finished 15th in the 102-runner field with a time of 27:36, on the 8,000 meter course. Junior Jeff Taylor finished 21st, redshirt freshman Kevin Huwe finished 37th and redshirt freshman Andy Highlander finished 68th.
Andy Baksa of Knoxville running unattached claimed the top spot in 26:39, and former Chattanooga runner, Colin Sullivan, who was running on the Runners Market team, finished second. Louisville claimed the men’s team title with a score of 46.
The Mocs have a week off before heading to Louisville, Ky., on Sept. 30, to compete in the Greater Louisville Classic at 9:00 a.m.
UTK INVITATIONAL FINAL RESULTS
Women Team Scores:
1. Tennessee ? 28
2. Georgia Tech ? 77
3. Chattanooga ? 81
4. Louisville ? 104
5. Belmont ? 109
6. Georgia State ? 119
7. Austin Peay ? 223
8. Virginia Military Institute ? 228
9. Bryan College ? 280
10. Tennessee State ? 283
11. Maryville College ? 300
Women’s Individual Finishes (Top Five and Other Chattanooga Finishes):
1. Lanni Marchant ? Chattanooga ? 18:05
2. Tarah McKay ? Louisville ? 18:08
3. Felicia Guliford ? Tennessee ? 18:13
4. Katie Flaute ? Tennessee ? 18:24
5. Sarah Bowman ? Tennessee ? 18:27
6. Nettie Halcomb ? Chattanooga ? 18:42
15. Sabrina Lefort ? Chattanooga ? 19:03
26. Katie Williams ? Chattanooga ? 19:37
37. Shelly Taylor ? Chattanooga ? 20:18
Men’s Individual Finishes (Top Five and Other Chattanooga Finishes):
1. Andy Baksa ? Knoxville Unattached ? 26:39
2. Colin Sullivan ? Runners Market ? 26:52
3. Wes Seacat ? Louisville ? 26:58
4. Ben Lukowski ? Tennessee ? 26:59
5. Mark Steeds ? Georgia State ? 27:05
15. Michael Mentz ? Chattanooga ? 27:36
21. Jeff Taylor ? Chattanooga ? 27:58
37. Kevin Huwe ? Chattanooga ? 28:40
68. Andy Highlander ? Chattanooga ? 30:21
Cross Country Team Competed in the Crimson Classic 5K Friday Night
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. ? The Georgia Southern Eagles placed ninth place with a total of 247 points Friday evening (Sept. 15) at the Crimson Classic 5K hosted by the University of Alabama.
With seven runners competing, the Eagles averaged a time of 20:53.23 for a total tally of 1:44:26.15.
Freshman Laura Fuller (Cartersville, Ga.) led GSU coming in 34th overall with a time of 20:13.41. Junior Abby Bloom (Snellville, Ga.) followed Fuller closely finishing in 20:20.39 and 39th overall. Coming in back-to-back were sophomore Danielle Shaurette (Buford, Ga.) and senior Jessica Kerzie (Marietta, Ga.) claiming 59th and 60th with times of 20:57.02 and 20:58.54, respectively. The event welcomed a total of 131 runners.
Of the 17 teams competing, Mississippi State took the crown with an average time of 18:37.53 amongst their seven runners. Following Mississippi Sate was Emory with an average of 19:14.08 for their seven runners.
The Eagles have two weeks off before returning to Alabama for the Auburn Invitational in Auburn on Sept. 30.
Cross Country Finishes Third, Sixth
College of Charleston's women's cross country team finished third and the men posted a sixth place finish on Saturday in the Winthrop/Asics Invitational at Winthrop Farms.
Katie Hedley finished 10th in the 5K to lead the Cougars with a 19:31 time, follwed by Karen Corson who finished 11th at 19:38. Amy Laughlin rounded out the top three to finish in 18th place with a 19:48 time.
In the men's 8K race, Max Gustaitis finished 17th with a 27:47 time. Micheal Rella and Aubrey Darnell rounded out the top three with times of 27:17 and 27:50, respectively, to finish 22nd and 23rd.
Davidson Men’s Cross Country Races To 5th Place Finish at Winthrop Invitational
For Immediate Use
Saturday, September 16, 2006
ROCK HILL, S.C. ? Sophomore Lance Harden (Apex, N.C.) crossed the finish line 12th out of 63 runners in leading the Davidson men’s cross country team to a 5th place showing out of eight teams at the Winthrop Invitational on Saturday, Sept. 16. In the 8K race, the Charlotte 49ers captured the top team honors in the University Division with 36 points, with the Wildcats picking up 116 points.
Harden had the top time for Davidson at 26:37, followed closely behind by teammate junior Sam Morris (Seattle, Wash.) with a time of 27:08. Morris came across the finish line in 16th place.
Also finishing with a top-20 time for the Wildcats was senior Alex Varner (San Rafael, Calif.) at 27:17, good for 20th place out of the 63 University Division runners. Varner did not compete last year for the Wildcats as he was studying aboard all of last season.
Picking up top-40 honors was senior Douglas Noreen (Apex, N.C.), who ran the 8K race in a time of 28:33 for 38th place, and freshman Blake Evitt (Somerville, Mass.), who crossed the finish line in 39th place (28:34).
Davidson will next hit the trails when they head to the Paul Short Run at Lehigh in Bethlehem, Pa. on Sept. 29.
Top Wildcat Finishers (Men's 8K)
26:37 Lance Harden (12th)
27:08 Sam Morris (16th)
27:17 Alex Varner (20th)
28:33 Douglas Noreen (38th)
28:34 Blake Evitt (39th)
29:12 Daniel Bush (47th)
30:44 Chet Howland (52nd)
Davidson Women's Cross Country Sprints to First Place Finish
For Immediate Use
Saturday, September 16, 2006
ROCK HILL, S.C? Behind five top-10 finishes, the Davidson Wildcat women's cross country raced to a first place finish in the women's 5K event at the Winthrop/Asics Invitational on Saturday morning.
Junior co-captain Brenna Burns paced the field of 78 with a time of 18:23 to cross the line first.
While Burns placed first, the rest of the team made a strong showing as well. Sophomore Caroline Sanker finished third at 18:28, while Junior Megal Atias (18:51, 6th), sophomore Emily King (19:17, 8th), and sophomore Lucy Rogers (19:20, 9th) each finished in the top ten.
Davidson compiled 27 points to win the University Division easily, ahead of Charlotte, next in the nine-team field with 43 points. SoCon rival College of Charleston finished third, followed by Furman, Winthrop, UNC Greensboro, South Carolina, Wofford and South Carolina State.
The women return to action at the LeHigh Invitational on Sept. 29 in LeHigh, Pa.
Top Wildcat Finishers (Women's 5K, Gold Divison)
18:23 Brenna Burns (1st)
18:28 Caroline Sanker (3rd)
18:51 Megal Atias (6th)
19:17 Emily King (8th)
19:20 Lucy Rogers (9th)
Furman Cross Country Finishes Fourth at Winthrop Invitational
Albrecht finishes third, Johnson fourth
Rock Hill, S.C. - The Furman men's and women's cross country teams each finished in fourth place at the 2006 Asics/Winthrop Invitational on Saturday morning. Eric Albrecht placed third for the men, while Brittany Johnson paced the women with a fourth-place finish.
Charlotte finished in first place overall for the men, while Davidson took top honors for the women.
Albrecht finished the 8K course with a time of 26:11. Patrick Morgan and Alex Placensia each recorded top-25 finishes as they took 23rd and 24th, respectively.
Johnson finished the women's 5K course with a time of 18:44. Page Bridges finished in 14th place and Lisa Mulvey finished 20th for the Lady Paladins.
The Furman teams return to action on September 30 at The Citadel Invitational.
UNCG men second, women sixth at Asics Winthrop Invitational
ROCK HILL, SC ? With four runners recording Top 10 finishes, the UNC Greensboro men’s cross country team placed second at the Asics Winthrop Invitational on Saturday, while the women’s squad finished sixth.
Xavier Rutz led the way for the Spartans, logging a personal-best time of 26:06 for a second place finish. Nick Vaccaco finished sixth, Josh Wyatt was eighth and Keith Gruchacz placed 10th for UNCG to help the Spartans to a second place standing in the team standings. Wyatt’s mark of 26:22 was also a personal best.
Charlotte, led by individual winner Adu Dentamo, finished first in the team standings. Dentamo completed the 8000-meter course in 25:44.
On the women’s side, UNCG was led by Jess Weber and Tessa Dispenette. Weber finished 15th in a time of 19:45; while Dispennette was 17th, completing the 5000-meter course in a personal best 19:47.
Davidson’s Brenna Burns claimed in the individual title in 18:23 to help the Wildcats to the team title.
The Spartan teams return to action on September 30 at the Mason Invitational in Centreville, VA.