MONTEVALLO, Ala. – Paced by junior Mason Hazel's 22nd-place finish, the Anderson men's cross country team placed ninth at the NCAA Southeast Region Championships, Saturday morning.
The Trojans, who were ranked eighth in the region in the latest U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) Southeast Region Rankings, were making their second appearance on the course this season and equaled their ninth-place finish in the 2015 Southeast Regional.
The top three teams – Mount Olive, defending South Atlantic Champion Mars Hill and Queens advanced to the NCAA National Championships in St. Leo, Fla., on Nov. 19.
Hazel, who was runner-up at the SAC Championship two weeks ago, earned All-Region accolades for third straight year with the 22nd-place finish and covered the 10K distance in a time of 31:40.72. Senior Ben Boerma, a two-time All-SAC performer, finished in 38th place in a time of 32:19.84, while Luke Horne, a member of the SAC All-Freshman Team, placed 64th in a time of 33:05.44.
SAC Freshman of the Year, Brooks Hovis, crossed the finish line in a time of 33:25.68 and finished 75th. Senior Jesse Patrick finished in 94th place in a time of 34:08.40, with senior Michael Burch claiming the 105th spot in a time of 34:25.54. Fellow senior Ned Kennedy crossed the line in 35:50.84 to place 143rd.
With Erskine not fielding a team, the Trojans earned a point in the Beville Cup competition.
