ANDERSON, S.C. – The 27th running of the South Atlantic Conference Cross Country Championships are set for Saturday and the Anderson men's cross country team will join the rest of the league's top runners in Wingate, N.C.
Wingate will serve as the host institution for the meet's second visit to the Tar Heel State in three years and its 14th overall. The 2017 SAC Championships were hosted by Lenoir-Rhyne in Newton, N.C., with the Trojans hosting last year's championships at the Milliken Research Center in Spartanburg, S.C.
The Bulldogs have played host to four previous SAC Championships on their campus - most recently in 2010 – when Mars Hill was in the midst of its dominating run of 18 consecutive SAC titles. The Bulldogs also hosted the 1997, 1998 and 2003 championships.
Wingate is also slated to host the 2019 NCAA Southeast Region Championships on Saturday, Nov. 9.
The men's race will cover eight kilometers and begin at 10:30 a.m.
Queens is seeking its third straight conference title and fourth championship in five years, with Mars Hill taking home the 2016 title – which was the Lions' 19th overall championship.
After Elon captured three of the first four SAC Championships (1993, 1994 and 1996), Mars Hill dominated the event, winning 18 championships in a row from 1997-2014 and placing 124 runners on all-conference teams throughout the years. Queens upended the Lions for the title in 2015, but Mars Hill returned to the top spot in 2016, while the Royals reclaimed the title two years ago.
Queens is ranked 18th nationally in the latest U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) National Poll and is at the top of a pack of five SAC teams ranked in last week's USTFCCCA Southeast Region Poll. The Royals were tabbed second, with Catawba holding the fifth slot and the host Bulldogs in sixth. AU was eighth last week, while Lenoir-Rhyne was ninth in the 10-team poll.
AU captured first place at the season-opening Converse Kickoff Classic in early September, with senior Ty Gleason capturing second place in his debut with the Black and Gold. The Findley, Ohio native also paced the Black and Gold at Florida's Mountain Dew Invitational, the Queen City Invite and two weeks ago at the Royals Challenge in Charlotte, N.C.
In addition to winning the season-opener in Spartanburg, the Trojans claimed 11th in Gainesville, Fla., fourth at the Queen City Invite and 14th at the Royals Challenge.
With three runners finishing ninth, 10th and 11th, respectively, the Trojans finished second at last season's South Atlantic Conference Championships. Ben Clark finished in 10th place, while garnering Second-Team All-SAC honors for the second straight year. Weston Hutto also captured Second-Team All-Conference accolades after finishing in 11th place.
Thomas Sutcliffe and Philip Quillen finished 26th and 31st, respectively, with
Joey Teachout crossing the finish line in 35th place. Noah McLain claimed 38th place a year ago, with Matthew Burgess finishing 39th. Luke Horne rounded out the Trojan contingent in 66th place.
The Trojans have finished as runners-up twice – last year and in 2011 – while claiming third at the SAC Championships on five occasions since joining the league in 2010.
Parking and admission to the SAC Cross Country Championships are free.
