CHATTANOOGA RUNNER KIRWA QUALIFIES FOR NCAA NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- Chattanooga senior runner Emmanuel Kirwa (Kapsabet, Kenya) finished eighth overall at the NCAA Cross Country South Regional Saturday morning at Veterans Park in Birmingham, Ala., and earned a spot at the NCAA National Championships later this month.
"He backed off," Head Coach Bill Gautier said. "He said he was saving it for the nationals. He knew he was the fourth guy and he ran under control."
Kirwa, a three-time Southern Conference Runner of the Year, ran the 10-kilometer race in a time of 30:22.31 and was the fourth individual finisher in the race. He bettered his time in the event by more than 38 seconds.
Junior Chris Berry (Murfreesboro, Tenn.) was 20th in the race with a time of 30:44.56 despite falling during the event. "He might have had a shot," Gautier said of Berry's chance of a possible at-large bid. Nathan Wanuch was the Mocs third finisher in the race with a time of 31:55.65 placing 46th out of 147 runners.
Alabama won the race with a team score of 30 that included four in the Top Eight. Florida State, paced by overall champion Ciaran O'Lionaird with a time of 30:03.34, was second with a team score of 55. Both teams earned automatic qualifications to the NCAA National Championships.
Individuals Dumisani Hlaselo of Florida (4), Barnabas Kirui of Ole Miss (6), Auburn's Ben Cheruiyot (7) and Kirwa were the top four individuals not on a qualifying team and earned a spot in the Nationals to be run in Terre Haute, Ind., on Nov. 22.
The Mocs placed sixth overall with a score of 157, just seven points behind instate foe Tennessee. Chattanooga placed ahead of Ole Miss, Belmont, Kennesaw State and Mississippi State.
"We beat some pretty good teams," Gautier said. "I'm really pumped."
In the women's race, the Lady Mocs placed 12th overall led by senior Anneli Uys (Somerville, Australia) who finished 40th overall with a time of 21:15.52 over the 6K course.
"The women did what they were supposed to do," Gautier said. The Lady Mocs finished ahead of teams from Georgia Tech, Miami and Tennessee.
Tara Gietema (Knoxville, Tenn.) was Chattanooga's second finisher in 60th place overall with a time of 21:52.35. Kathryn Stuart (Brentwood, Tenn.) and Mary Cumbee (Brentwood, Tenn.) were 80th and 81st respectively for UTC and Shelley Taylor (Cohutta, Ga.) rounded out the scoring runners for UTC with a 92nd place finish out of 186 competitors.
Florida State won top honors in the women's race with 24 points and all five scoring runners finishing in the Top Eight. Florida was a distant second with 67 points and will join the Seminoles as automatic qualifiers. Georgia's Kristie Krueger was the overall champion with a time of 19:52.93. Other individual qualifiers include Hollie Knight of Auburn (5), Mackenzie Howe of Kennesaw State (8) and Vanderbilt's Jordan White (11).
Kirwa is the first Chattanooga runner since 2006 to advance to the National Championship and the first male runner since Ian Mayne in 2005.
Women's Cross Country Finishes 10th At NCAA South Regional
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. --- The Samford University cross country teams closed out the 2010 campaign Saturday at the NCAA South Regional Championships at Hoover's Veterans Park. The Bulldog women finished 10th while Florida State won the women's team title and the University of Alabama men captured their fourth consecutive title.
The Samford women came into the meet ranked eighth in the regional standings. After capturing the Southern Conference Championship last season, the Bulldogs went into the 2009 regional in Tuscaloosa, Ala., ranked ninth. The women finished 15th last year at the event hosted by Alabama, and finally broke into the top ten this year after capturing their second SoCon title two weeks ago.
"I think overall we did a good job," Samford head coach Rod Tiffin said. "It's always good to beat your SoCon opponent and we did that here. We did better than we did a year ago, but I still think we are better than what we are showing. I think we will get there. We just put so much energy into the conference meet two weeks ago; I think it's just tough for the girls to get back up in two weeks. I feel good about the way that some of the girls ran and I think we will be an even better team next year."
Sophomore Lauren D'Alessio led the Samford women in the 6,000-meter race. D'Alessio has been Samford's top runner all season long and made her way into the top 25 this season after finishing 110th last season. She posted a time of 20:44.77, just under a minute behind the lead runner. She also earned USTFCCCA All-Region honors as the top 25 individuals are awarded the honor in an awards ceremony after the races.
"Lauren had a great season," Tiffin said. "There are no words to describe the season that she's had. She has just taken it to a whole new level from where she was last year. To make that kind of a jump in a year is just astounding. She did a great job again today. I think she set herself up for a great track season and the next three years."
Ina Ables finished second for the Bulldogs, running a time of 21:29.54 to take 45th place. Hillary Neal followed in 58th place with a time of 21:49.20 while Lillie Jackson placed 89th with a time of 22:23.82. Deanna Zidar finished 105th with a time of 22:40.51 followed by Claire Grogan at 108th place with a time of 22:46.76. Lauren Pilcher rounded out the Samford field with a time of 23:34.15 to take 148th place.
Florida State won the women's title with 24 points followed by Florida with 67 points and Vanderbilt with 102. Florida State and Florida receive automatic bids to the NCAA Championships which will be held in Terre Haute, Ind., on Nov. 22. Vanderbilt will find out Sunday night if it will receive and at-large bid to the national meet. Georgia (137) and Mississippi State (196) rounded out the top five while UAB (206), Alabama (239), Ole Miss (270), Lipscomb (283) and Samford (294) rounded out the top ten.
Georgia's Kristie Krueger won the women's individual title with a time of 19:52:93 on the 6K course. Florida State took over the next three spots as Pasca Cheruiyot (19:55.21), Pilar McShine (19:56.39) and Jessica Parry (19:56.68) finished second, third and fourth respectively. Auburn's Hollie Knight finished fifth with a time of 19:57.68, and will join Mackenzie Howe (Kennesaw State) and Krueger at the national meet as automatic individual qualifiers from the South Regional. If Vanderbilt qualifies for a team at-large bid, Mary Kate DuBard of Georgia Tech will be the fourth individual qualifier for the South Regional. If not, Vanderbilt's Jordan White will go.
The Alabama men captured their fourth-straight NCAA South Regional team title as they overtook top-seeded Florida State by 25 points. The Crimson Tide earned 30 points and placed five of seven runners in the top 12.
"It was a really good feeling to see the team respond to adversity," Alabama head coach Joe Walker said. "We knew after how the fall had progressed that it would be easy for us to maybe take the approach of 'this is just not our year.' But those guys really stayed confident. Their confidence, even in just talking to them yesterday, was very impressive. Today, the results showed that they were ready to come compete."
Florida State finished second with 55 points and placed four in the top 15 while Florida placed third with 76 points, getting only two runners in the top 15. Tennessee (150) and Georgia (157) rounded out the top five while Chattanooga (193), Ole Miss (219), Belmont (236), Kennesaw State (244) and Mississippi State (277) rounded out the top ten.
Ciarian O'Lionard won the men's individual title with a time of 30:03.34 on the 10K course. Alabama's Carrison Kemei (30:05.80) and Julius Bor (30:06.96) finished second and third followed by Florida's Dumisani Hlaselo in fourth with a time of 30:11.85. Alabama's Joel Rop (30:13.23) rounded out the top five. Ole Miss' Barnabas Kirui, who holds the 5K course record for Veterans Park, came in sixth and is the first individual qualifier for the national meet for the men. Auburn's Ben Cheruiyot and Chattanooga's Emmanuel Kirwa will join Kirui as qualifiers. If Florida's men's team does not get an automatic bid, Hlaselo will be the fourth individual qualifier. If they do, Tennessee's Michael Spooner, who placed 11th, will go to the national meet.
Samford had three men to finish the 10K race. The Bulldog men were led by freshman Layton Dorsett who finished 78th with a time of 32:50.59. Senior Scott Cope came in 94th with a time of 33:16.53 followed by freshman James Graham in 116th place with a time of 34:09.69.
Schnell named All-Region to lead UNCG at NCAA Regionals
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - UNCG junior Ashley Schnell came in 14th place in the women's 6k race to earn All-Region honors on Saturday at the NCAA Southeast Regional Championships at E.P. Tom Sawyer State Park.
The men's team came home with a school-best 16th place finish, while the women's team finished in a tie for 16th place with George Mason.
"I could not be more proud of this team, said coach Linh Nguyen. The women had a great season and have set us up for a very bright future. This is the best women's team in UNCG history. The men also had a great year and I'm very happy with all the positive steps forward that we've made. This team has committed themselves from day 1 and its paid off. We are set up to be a very good team over the next few years."
Schnell completed the 6k course in a time of 20:48.65, which shattered the previous school record by over a minute. Her finish made her the first All-Region honoree in school history. Shaina Sumney also had a great race as she finished in 42nd place in a time of 21:31.99, which would have also broken the previous school record.
"The goal for the women was to be top 15 and we finished in a cluster of teams from 13th to 16th," said Nguyen. "We didn't have a complete team race and that was the difference today. Our region is so strong that you have to be on top of your game from 1-7. However, we were the top SoCon team and beat other North Carolina schools that have generally beaten us in the past."
"Ashley ran a great race today. She got out in the top 20 like I told her to and raced from there. To be 14th in this region is a great achievement. The bittersweet part is she just missed the last individual spot to make nationals. Shaina also ran great. She's had an amazing season and this was a nice way to end it."
The men's team were led by Mike Koech who finished in 28th place, just three spots out of earning All-Region honors. His time of 31:20.07 broke his own school record he set last season by 19 seconds. Joey Thompson was second-best for the Spartan men on Saturday as he ran a 32:50.53 to finish in 84th place.
"Today's performance was a little disappointing for the men," said Nguyen. "We felt coming in that we were a top 12 team. However, this is one of the strongest years I've seen in the Southeast Region and this is probably the toughest region in the country. If you are just a little off at this meet, you can lose a lot of places. The guys ran tough and moved up over the last 2k. To have our best finish ever on an off day just shows how good this team really is this year."
"Mike ran an extremely smart race and was just out kicked for the last All-Region spot. He broke the school record and was running with the very best in the Region."
The Spartans will now prepare for the upcoming indoor track & field season.
CHARLIE MCGOOGAN PLACES 47th TO LEAD FURMAN CROSS COUNTRY TEAMS AT NCAA SOUTHEAST REGION CHAMPIONSHIPS
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Senior Charlie McGoogan recorded a time of 31:51.4 and placed 47th in the men's 10K to lead the Furman cross country teams at the NCAA Southeast Regional Saturday at E.P. "Tom" Sawyer State Park in Louisville. Schools competing at the race included teams from the states of Kentucky, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia.
The Paladin men's team placed 18th out of 34 teams after scoring 525 points in the meet. Junior Chris Caldwell finished 80th with a time of 32:47.7, and sophomore Wilkerson Given was 127th with a time of 33:35.5. Junior Lee Gilmer placed 129th with a time of 33:38.7, and junior Jay Miller turned in a time of 33:55.0 for 142nd place. Two freshmen rounded out the Furman finishers, with Tyler Greathouse taking 161st place (34:28.8) and Jack Klecker placing 187th (35:25.1).
Junior Brooke Mosteller led the Furman women's team, placing 124th with a time of 22:45.9 on the 6K course to help the Paladins to a 30th place finish out of 37 teams. Furman scored 829 points in the meet. Junior Erin Barker finished 144th with a time of 23:00.9, and freshman Julia Means was 172nd with a time of 23:23.5. Freshman Catherine Burton recorded a time of 23:50.6 for 194th place, and junior Charlee Coggins was 194th with a time of 23:51.0. Junior Rebecca Shelton posted a time of 24:01.9 for 201st place, and senior Jenna Callahan placed 226th with a time of 24:42.5.
This meet concludes the 2010 cross country season for the Paladins. Furman will open the 2011 indoor track season at the Clemson Games on January 28.
Davidson Women Conclude 2010 Cross Country Season with 26th Place Finish
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Seniors Heather Conarroe and Lauren Childs led Davidson for one final time as the Wildcats concluded the 2010 season at the NCAA South East Cross Country Regionals in Louisville, Ky., Saturday morning.
Conarroe led Davidson with a time of 22:29.75 in the 6K race, finishing 94th overall. Childs was right behind with a 100th-place time of 22:34.15.
The Wildcats finished 26th in the team competition in the 37-team field and were the second best SoCon team at the Regional. Appalachian State finished 24th, but the Wildcats were better than Elon (27th, 736), Western Carolina (28th, 806), Coll. of Charleston (29th, 827), Furman (30th, 829) and Wofford (32nd, 920).
Senior Sarah Cline finished with a time of 23:11.15 or 158th overall, and freshman Megan Mavity ran 23:23.37 to finish in 172nd place. Sophomore Natalie Atabek was the final scorer for the Wildcats, finishing in 204th place with a time of 24:02.93.
Freshman Maggie Rickard (24:29.67, 222nd) and sophomore Claire Naisby (25:16.12, 239th) also ran for the Wildcats.
The ACC took the top five spots with Virginia winning the Regional with just 65 points and all five runners in the top 30. North Carolina (100), Duke (122), N.C. State (153) and Virginia Tech (208) rounded out the top five.
The Wolfpack's Laura Hoer won the individual championship with a time of 19:54.50, followed by the Tar Heels' Kendra Schaaf (20:02.40) and Demon Deacons' Anna Nosenko (20:13.70).
Davidson Men's Cross Country Finishes 17th at NCAA Regional to Conclude 2010 Season
LOUISVILLE, Ky. - Junior Ryan Hopkins finished the 10K E.P. "Tom" Sawyer Park course in a personal-best 32 minutes, 10.4 seconds to lead the Davidson men's cross country team to a 17th-place finish out of 34 teams at the 2010 NCAA Southeast Region Championships Saturday morning.
Hopkins (Greenwich, Conn.) placed 56th overall in the field of 231, improving 14 places from his 2009 effort in the same event. His time ranks as the eighth fastest all-time at Davidson for a 10K course. Sophomore Demetrios Pagonis (Westminster, Md.) followed in 70th place in 32:30.2 to move onto Davidson's 10K top-10 performers list.
Sophomore Wes Reynolds (St. Petersburg, Fla.) (33:03.7), freshman Grayam Sailor-Tynes (San Antonio,Texas) (33:55.5), and senior Greg Marcil (Columbia, S.C.) (34:10.8) rounded out Davidson's scoring group. Junior Ian Tupper (Norfolk, Va.) (34:48.5) also competed.
Davidson totaled 520 points, finishing behind SoCon foes Appalachian State (13th place, 408 points) and UNCG (16th, 493), but placing ahead of Furman (17th, 525), Elon (24th, 633), College of Charleston (27th, 739), Western Carolina (t-28th, 755) and Wofford (31st, 921).
The Wildcats also finished ahead of local rivals Charlotte (25th, 646) and Winthrop (30th place, 783) and notables Clemson (20th, 557) and Kentucky (21st, 572).
No. 19 William & Mary placed first overall with 85 points. Liberty senior Samuel Chelanga won individually in 29:55.8 and was the only runner to finish in under 30 minutes.
The meet concluded the 2010 season for Davidson.