ELON, N.C. ? Head cross country coach Christine Engel announces the addition of 11 student-athletes to the 2009-10 Elon University men’s and women’s cross country teams. The class includes Conner Mercurio, Ranley Gousse, Larry Duran, Lucas Walters, Tim Garber, Sullivan Parkes, Emily Tryon, Morgan Denecke, Christine Pacewicz, Jacqueline Alnes and Melissa Provost.
“I am very excited about the addition of these young men and women to our program,” Engel said. “I know that they will have an immediate impact. As well as talented athletes, they are all standout students in the classroom as well.”
Hailing from Providence, R.I., Mercurio is a five-time Rhode Island All-State team member and a three-time LaSalle Academy cross country MVP. He owns personal records of 15:56 in the 5K, 8:40 in the 3K, 4:04 in the 1,500-meter run, 4:24 in the one-mile run and a 9:22 in the two-mile run. In addition to being the captain of the cross country team, Mercurio served as the team captain for both the indoor track and baseball team.
A native of Winter Park, Fla. Gousse was a member of the 2007 state championship and 2008 state championship runner-up cross country team at Trinity Prep. Gousse owns personal records of 15:15 in the 5K, 9:41 in the 3,200-meter run, 4:31 in the 1,600-meter run and a 1:57 at the 800-meter split. He also helped his track team to back-to-back state championships in the 4x800-meter relay in 2008 and 2009. Gousse was named to the 2006 and 2008 all-state team and the 2005 and 2007 all-county team. In 2008, he was named the 2008 Orange County Cross Country Runner of the year and named to the All-Central Florida team.
A Miami, Fla. native, Duran is a five-time letterwinner at Belen Jesuit High School. He helped his cross county team to three-straight state championships from 2006-2008 and a track state championship in 2008. As a team captain of both the cross country and track teams, Duran owns personal best times of 15:50 in the 5,000-meter run, 1:57 in the 800-meter run and 4:29 in the 1,600-meter run.
Walters comes to Elon after competing in the Nike Team Nationals competition in 2007 as a member of the Medina High School cross country team. He is also a member of the 2007 Ohio state championship team. A standout in the classroom as well, Walters was named a Fox Sports Scholar Athlete, a National Merit Commended Scholar and was a member of the National Honor Society.
Garber, a native of Kennett Square, Pa. comes to Elon after serving as the captain of Unionville High School’s track team. He was named the team’s MVP following his junior and senior seasons and was a member of the National Honor Society.
Parkes comes to Elon after lettering four times in cross country, indoor track and outdoor track. She also served as Millbrook’s team captain in each of the three sports. She also placed fifth as a freshman, sixth as a junior and 13th as a senior at the VHSL State meet. Her personal records include a 18:21 in the 5K and 11:21 in the 3,200-meter run. Parkes earned all-state honors as a sophomore, junior and senior. In indoor track, she received all-state honors as a sophomore and a junior. Academically, Parkes is a four-year straight A honor and Distinguished Honor Roll member, a four-year recipient of the All-Academic Award and a member of the National Honor Society.
A Gulf Breeze, Fla. native, Tryon comes to Elon after earning all-state honors in both cross country and track. She is the 2008 regional champion in the 3,200-meter run. Tryon also owns the school record in the 5K (18:46) and 3,200-meter run (11:12). As a member of the National Honor Society, the Latin Honor Society and the Art Honor Society and for her efforts in the classroom, she was named the Pensacola Scholar Athlete of the Year and earned the AP Scholar Award.
Midlothian, Va. native Denecke served as the captain of the Clover Hill girls’ cross country, indoor track and outdoor track teams as a senior. She recorded personal records of 11:22.12 in the 3,200-meter run and 18:58.43 in the track 5,000-meter run. Outside of the track, Denecke spend four years as an honor roll student, including three years as a straight-A honor roll member. She also received the Mathematics/Science, Orchestra and Spanish Outstanding Student Award and was a member of the National Honor Society, Mu Alpha Theta and the Spanish Honor Society.
Pacewicz, of Peoria, Ill., served as the captain of Stevenson High School’s cross country and track teams. She owns a personal record of 18:30 in cross country. Pacewicz was also named Stevenson’s Female Scholar Athlete during the fall of the 2008-09 school year.
Alnes comes to Elon after helping Union High School’s cross country team to two district championships and one region championship. Alnes own a personal record of 11:33 in the two-mile run for cross country and 11:28 in the two-mile run in track. She is also a member of the National Honor Society.
Following her career at the Peddie School in Hightstown, N.J., where she recorded a personal record of 19:20 in the 5K, Provost helped her cross country team to the 2008 Mid-Atlantic Prep League cross country team championship.