Western Carolina Women place first, men place second in Western Carolina Invitational
Cullowhee, N.C. - The Catamount women's cross country team placed first in the two mile race, while the men finished second in the 5K at the Western Carolina Invitational on Friday afternoon.
The women ran past Winthrop by a score of 38 to 44 to place first in the team's season opener. The Catamount men came in second, despite a strong front attack by Josey Weaver and Stephen Hammond, who both finished in the top two slots.
Western Carolina had seven women place in the top-20 of the two mile course. Freshman Mara Smith led the way, finishing second in her collegiate debut with a time of 12:00.27. Jordan Gaddy followed Smith at third with a mark of 12:07.63. Freshman Leslie Raymond rounded out the top-10 at 12:19.88.
"I tried to keep it as steady as I could," said Smith. "I kept it as even as I could."
Junior Lindsay Groce (12th, 12:22.08), Olivia Jacobs (13th, 12:32.26) and Danielle Shaurette (14th, 12:33.20) rounded out the top-15, giving the Catamounts the assured win over the Eagles.
Four others Catamounts completed the race, including Morgan Turner (17th, 12:36.42), Adrian Cooke (21st, 13:03.93), Christelle Vereb (25th, 13:35.89) and Julia Gomez (29th, 13:50.09).
Western Carolina (12:16.45) finished in first with a team score of 38, while Winthrop (12:19.98) followed in second at 44. Gardner-Webb (12:33.23) placed third with 51 points, as Asheville (13:21.75) wrapped up the race with 101 points. Winthrop senior Carey Phillips won the women's side of the event with a time of 11:52.00.
"We talked about trying to stay close together and finishing strong," said WCU head coach Danny Williamson.
"Our idea was when we got to one mile, we were going to move as hard as we could to get to the finish line."
Sophomore Josey Weaver captured his first individual race title of his collegiate career by crossing the finish line at 15:54.37 in the men's 3.1 mile race.
Senior Stephen Hammond followed a split-second behind at 15:55.60. Winthrop then followed with four out the next five runners in order to clinch the team racing title.
"I felt pretty good about our pacing," said Hammond, a senior from Midlothian, Va., "We will get a little faster as we get our legs stronger throughout the season."
"The plan was for me to go ahead and set the pace," said Weaver. "I knew in the end that Stephen (Hammond) was going to be right beside me."
Nolan Clark placed in the top-10 with a time of 16:31.84, while junior Stephon Roach earned 11th with a mark of 16:37.95. Garrett West (16th, 16:56.24) and Drew Tucker (16:57.80) finished inside the top-20. The final four Catamounts were Jake Clawson (21st, 17:19.69), Chris Justice (23rd, 18:07.54), Chase Fisher (26th, 18:14.32) and Jake Swimmer (27th, 18:23.98).
Winthrop placed first as a team with an average time of 16:24.24 for 34 points, followed by Western Carolina (16.22.72) in second with 37. UNC-Asheville (17:31.02) clinched third with 77 points and Gardner-Webb fourth with 78 (17:16.88).
"This was a good race for us to improve and work as a team," said Williamson. "Now, we'll try to work on closing the gaps and spacing together before our next race at Winthrop."
The Catamount Cross Country team will travel to the Asics - Winthrop Invitational on Saturday, Sept. 19.
UNC Greensboro Women Finish Second, Men Finish Third at Wake Forest Relays
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. - UNC Greensboro kicked off its 2009 season on Friday evening at the Wake Forest Relays. The women's squad finished in second, while the men's team finished third.
The duo of Michelle Chewens and Sherrika Jordan paced the women's team as they finished in fifth place with a time of 37.55 minutes. Tiffany Garber and Shaina Sumeny weren't far behind as they ran a 38.10 to finish in eighth place.
Ben Vasquez and Brian Carrington were the top performers on the men's side as they ran a 48.12 to come in 11th place. TJ Wyatt and Cory Bowen finished just eight seconds behind the pair to finish in 12th place.
The three schools were broken down into teams of two runners with each runner being responsible for running two nonconsecutive legs of the event. The women's competition consisted of a total of 10 kilometers, or four 2.5-kilometer legs. The men's race was 14 kilometers, or four 3.5-kilometer legs.
The Spartans return to competition next weekend as they will compete at the Elon Invitational on Saturday, Sept. 12 at 10 a.m.
Appalachian State Women Finish Third at Covered Bridge Open
Boone, N.C. - Appalachian State women's cross country opened up the 2009 campaign Friday, hosting the annual Covered Bridge Open at the Don Kennedy Trail in Boone.
The Mountaineer women had a strong showing in the season opener, coming three points shy of second-place North Carolina. Florida State was the overall winner, placing four runners in the top six including individual winner Amanda Quick.
Freshmen Brittany Caudle opened her college career in spectacular fashion, finishing third overall and only 1 second behing the winner Quick. Caudle's classmate Trinity Foreman also had a successful debut, placing 13th overall after posting a time of 19:05.1 on the 5000 meter course. Foreman was followed by junior Amy Neilson, freshman Cara Richardson, and junior Dani Reese, who placed 14th, 19th, and 20th respectively.
The Mountaineer women return to action Friday, September 18, when they host the Mountaineer Open at the Don Kennedy Trail.
Team Results
Florida State 22
North Carolina 66
Appalachian 69
Queens 89
Lenoir Rhyne 123
UVA Wise 183
Appalachian State Men Finish Fourth at Covered Bridge Open
Boone, N.C. - Appalachian State men's cross country opened the 2009 season Friday with the annual Covered Bridge Open at the Don Kennedy Trail in Boone.
The Mountaineer men finished fourth of six teams, and only six points behind third-place North Carolina. Florida State was the overall winner, placing three runners in the top-five to outdistance second place Queens College by 18 points.
ASU was paced by senior Phil Mitchell, who finished seventh overall on the 6400 meter course with a time of 20:02. Freshman Burk Staub placed 18th overall with a time of 20:43.6, followed closely by senior Mike Walker who placed 19th with at time of 20:44.5.
Bud Galloway, Michael Lilley and Will Raby all posted strong showings in the season opener, placing 21st, 25th, and 27th respectively.
The Mountaineers will be back in action Friday September 18, when they host the Mountaineer Open at the Don Kennedy Trail.
Men's Team Scores
Florida State 32
Queens 50
North Carolina 83
Appalachian 89
ETSU 109
Lenoir Rhyne 172
Georgia Southern Finishes Fourth at Gamecock Invitational
COLUMBIA, S.C. - Cross Country wrapped up its first meet of the 2009 season with a fourth place finish at the Gamecock Invitational. The Eagles got strong performances from Azura Robillard (Altamonte Springs, Fla.) and Brittani Martin (Alpharetta, Ga.). Robillard finished with a new personal best time of 20:33.12. Her previous best time 20:48.79 came in the Tiger Invitational last year. Martin crossed the finish line right behind her with a time of 20:36.93.
Freshman Amanda Tennyson (Grayson, Ga.) was the third Eagle to cross the line. She finished with a time of 20:42.76 in her first meet. The Eagles also got strong performances from the other freshmen. Heather McAlister (Cartersville, Ga.) finished 37th with a time of 21:01.46. Andriena Salas (Marietta, Ga.) crossed the line just behind McAlister with a time of 21:05.87.
Shauntel Jennings (Stone Mountain, Ga.) finished fourth for the Eagles with a time of 20:56.22.
Morgan Jefferson (Villa Rica, Ga.) performed well in her first collegiate cross country event. Jefferson finished with a time of 21:15.89.
Cross country returns to action September 12 at the Elon Invitational.
Cross Country Men Finish Fourth, Women Finish Fifth at Gamecock Invitational
Columbia, S.C. - The Citadel cross country teams competed at the Gamecock Invitational on Friday night. The men placed fourth overall with an average time of 16:17.06 and 74 points, while the women finished fifth with 140 points and an average time of 20:45.17.
Senior Brendan Kight posted a time of 15:56.96 for eighth place in the 5k run. Freshman Kyle Keene followed finishing 11th overall with a time of 16:09.72. Chris Fallis came in at No. 15 with a time of 16:15.79 and Nathan Jackson recorded a time of 16:26.65 for 19th place. John Gatewood ran a time of 16:36.15 in his freshman debut to place 21st while Atom Young completed his first collegiate race finishing 22nd with a time of 16:40.08. Freshman Ben Canipe rounded out the top 25 finishing 25th with a time of 16:46.56.
For the women, Natalie Wolin crossed the finish line 24th with a time of 20:06.88 and Katheryn Gatewood came in a few seconds later at 20:21.76 to finish 27th. Freshman Micah Wessinger finished 34th with a time of 20:49.50 and Suzanne Gay posted a time of 21:09.57 to place 40th. Sarah Stierwalt was not far behind coming in at 43rd with a mark of 21.18.14.
Coming up next, Bulldog cross country will particapte in the Elon Invitational in Elon, N.C. on Saturday, Sept. 12. For more information on Bulldog Cross Country, visit the official website of The Citadel Athletics at www.CitadelSports.com.
Samford Women Win Memphis Twilight, Men Finish Fifth
MEMPHIS, Tenn. - The Samford cross country teams rain a wet race Saturday night in the Memphis Twilight as the women won the first meet of the season and the men took fifth place. The Bulldog women ran the 5K course through a downpour while the men's four mile race was held off for 30 minutes due to lightning in the area.
"This was a great start for us," Samford head coach Rod Tiffin said. "It wasn't the best race but we felt like we really ran well as a team. It was pouring down, but the women were able to persevere to get the win tonight."
Andrea Seccafien led the Bulldog women to their first win of the season. The sophomore finished fourth overall with a time of 18:27.16. Hillary Neal (18:54.90) and Cori Christensen (18:56.76) rounded out the top ten at ninth and tenth places, respectively. Ina Ables was able to stay in the top 20, grabbing 16th place with a time of 19:28.67. Jessica Van Ausdall (19:28.67) placed 22nd and Lauren D'Alessio took 59th in her first collegiate meet with a time of 20:17.02.
Leading the men was captain Blaise Carie. The junior took 16th place with a time of 20:40.63. Patrick Ollinger took 36th place with a time of 21.20.02 while Will Denton finished third for the Bulldogs, taking 43rd place with a time of 21:29.58. Chas Keithan (22:09.67) placed 71st while Ramsey White took 93rd in his first collegiate race with a time of 22:31.41. Jay Maservy and Sam Shaughnessy placed 102nd and 103rd, respectively while Matt Bryson rounded out the Bulldog seven at 158th place.
The Bulldogs will be back in action in two weeks as they run in the Crimson Classic on Sept. 18.
Davidson Men Take First at Eye Opener Invitational
SPARTANBURG, S.C. - The Davidson men's cross country team kicked off the 2009 season in grand fashion Saturday afternoon, coming in first place in the overall team scores in the Eye Opener at USC Upstate meet in Spartanburg, S.C.
The Wildcats scored 26 team points for the runaway victory, finishing 46 points ahead of the second-place squad from Furman. Four of the 20 teams in attendance were Southern Conference opponents, all of whom finished in the top-seven places.
"It was a good effort today for our guys," said head coach Gary Andrew. "We wanted to get off to a strong start on the season, and we are happy with the results."
Davidson placed three runners in the top-five overall finishers, and all five scorers finished in the top-ten out of the Division I competitors. Leading the way for Davidson was senior Lance Harden, who finished in second place overall with a mark of 25:29, which placed him in the top-ten 8K times in school history.
Right behind Harden in third place was sophomore Ryan Hopkins, who also placed in the Davidson top-ten list with his time of 25:36. Rounding out the Wildcat 2-3-4 sweep in fourth was junior Tom Divinnie, who tripped the tape in 25:39, which was a Davidson top-ten performance on this course.
Sophomore Charlie Schmitt brought home seventh-place with a time of 25:59, and junior Peter Bruton closed the scorers for the Wildcats with a mark of 26:24 and a tenth-place finish.
It was the first team victory for the Wildcats since taking the title at the Citadel Invitational in 2007, and is tied for the best finish by Davidson in three seasons.
The Wildcats will look to continue their strong start on Sept. 19 when they travel to Rock Hill, S.C. to take part in the Winthrop Invitational. Last season, Davidson finished fourth as a team in the meet, with Divinnie pacing the individual scoring with a fifth-place finish.
Davidson Women Finish Second at Eye Opener Invitational
SPARTANBURG, S.C. -- Behind three top-10 performances, the Davidson Wildcat women's cross country team raced to a runner-up finish behind host USC Upstate at the Eye Opener Cross Country Meet Saturday morning in Spartanburg, S.C.
The Wildcat women amassed just 55 points, finishing just four points behind USC Upstate and ahead of Furman (71), Charlotte (82) and the College of Charleston (89). Wofford (163) and Charleston Southern (198) rounded out the field with sixth and seventh-place finishes.
Freshman Natalie Atabek was the top finisher for the Wildcats in her collegiate debut, placing sixth with a time of 18:39. She was followed immediately by juniors Danielle Ruggieri (18:40) and Lauren Childs (18:40), who finished seventh and eighth, respectively.
"I am so proud of the way that our team ran today!" head coach Jen Straub said. "Natalie ran a great race, finishing first for us as a freshman, and our whole team ran well. We finished second without Heather (Conarroe), who is running really well right now, so I'm very excited about our potential and looking forward to seeing what we can accomplish this season!"
Sophomore Jane Gay finished 14th with a time of 19:15, and Sarah Cline rounded out the scoring for the Wildcats with a 20th-place finish in a time of 19:30. Sophomore Anna Stockamore finished 21st with a time of 19:31, and freshman Caroline Gecker was 24th with a time of 19:38.
USC Upstate placed a pair of runners in the top three to win the meet. Sophomore Caroline Chelulei was the individual champion, finishing with a time of 18:12. Teammate Jemeli Sang was third with a time of 18:26.
The Wildcats return to action at the Winthrop Invitational Sept. 19.
Furman Men Finish Second, Women Third at Eye Opener Invitational
SPARTANBURG, S.C. -- The Furman cross country teams opened the 2009 season Saturday at the Eye Opener Meet in Spartanburg, S.C. The Paladin men's team scored 72 points, finishing second to Davidson, while the women's team scored 71 points for a third place finish. USC Upstate won the women's meet, with Davidson placing second.
Furman junior Charles McGoogan finished the 8K course in 26:13 for an eighth-place finished, followed by sophomore Lee Gilmer who placed ninth with a time of 26:17. Sophomore Chris Caldwell turned in a time of 26:33 for 13th place, while sophomore Jay Miller placed 17th after completing the course in 26:51. Freshman Wilkerson Given rounded out the Paladin men, placing 25th with a time of 27:22.
On the women's 5K course, sophomore Chloe Kowalski led the Paladins with a time of 18:35 and a fifth-place finish. Junior Jenna Callahan also turned in a top-10 finish, placing ninth in 18:47. Senior Brittany Johnson turned in a time of 19:12 for 13th place, and senior Megan Lordi was 19th finishing the course in 19:30. Sophomore Charlotte Coggins rounded out the Paladin scorers, placing 25th with a time of 19:39.
Both teams will compete on Sept. 12 at the Elon Invitational in Elon, N.C.
College of Charleston Men and Women Take Fifth at Eye Opener Invitational
SPARTANBURG, S.C. - The College of Charleston men's and women's cross country teams both finished fifth overall at the Eye Opener Invitational hosted by USC Upstate on Saturday morning. The event was the first of the year for the Cougars.
"We're very pleased with how we competed today," said head coach Amy Seago. "We improved across the board as a team on the course compared to last season. Once again, we couldn't be happier in how we ran today."
For the men, Trevor Sprague was the high finisher, running the course in school-record 25:54 to finish 3rd overall. Sprague broke the school record in a cross country event by three seconds. Other top finishers on the day for the Cougars included Christian Bailey and David Thomas.
For the women, the top finisher was Kristen Wolfe, who placed 10th overal. Becky Stewart finished 11th, while Erin Stoddard rounded out the top Cougar finishers on the day with a 15th place finish.
Charleston returns to action on Sept. 12th at the Elon Invitational.
Wofford Men Finish Seventh, Women Sixth at Eye Opener Invitational
SPARTANBURG, S.C. - The Wofford cross country teams competed in the Eye Opener Invitational Saturday, hosted by USC Upstate at Milliken Park. The Terrier men finished seventh out of Division I teams, and the women's team finished sixth.
Men (8K)
Freshman Trey Parker paced the Terrier men, coming in 12th with a time of 26:31 in the 8K race. Senior Bryan Brooks clocked in at 27:50 for a 37th place finish, while fellow senior Paul Vecchione set a new career best time in the 8K with a 28:23 mark, more than a minute faster than his previous career best.
12. Trey Parker, 26:31
37. Bryan Brooks, 27:50
41. Paul Vecchione, 28:23
50. Mavrick Harris, 30:15
51. Russell Baker, 30:26
54. Alex Elias, 30:52
56. Josh Riley, 31:59
57. Chris Allen, 34:00
Women (5K)
Freshman Andrea Kelsey led the Terrier women with a time of 20:03 in the 5K run, good for a 31st place finish. Sophomore Caroline Liddy finished close behind with a personal best time of 20:15. Freshmen Shelby Harris and Nicole Klasnik finished 38th and 39th, respectively.
31. Andrea Kelsey, 20:03
35. Caroline Liddy, 20:15
38. Shelby Harris, 20:30
39. Nicole Klasnik, 20:34
42. Kari Harris, 21:01
48. Caitlin Dodd, 21:25
50. Kim Stauffer, 21:30
51. Laura Trent, 21:36
54. Caroline Burdette, 21:51
60. Emily Gothberg, 23:13
62. Pearce Tapp, 24:29