SALISBURY, N.C. - Paced by freshman Haylee Love's second-best time of the season, the Anderson women's cross country team finished third at the 2014 South Atlantic Conference Championships, hosted by Catawba College at Salisbury Community Park.
"We had a pretty good day," said Anderson head coach Randy Greer. "We were without Sydney and Olivia had some trouble on the course, but overall we are about where we need to be [at this time of the year]."
Love's eighth-place finish in a time of 19:15.33 in the 5K event propelled the newcomer to SAC Freshman of the Year honors, with the Lexington, S.C. native also capturing Second-Team All-Conference and All-Freshman Team accolades as well. Love is the second newcomer in school history to earn SAC Freshman of the Year honors, with Lydia Davis also earning the honor in 2010.
Newcomer Alex Dixon crossed the line in a time of 19:25.68 en route to earning 10thplace and garnering Second-Team All-Conference and All-Freshman Team accolades. Love and Dixon join former AU standouts Davis (2010), Sydney Hazel (2011) and Madeline Fitts (2010) as All-SAC Freshman Team honorees.
Hazel, a senior who finished in 11th-place at the SAC Championships a year ago, was unable to compete due to an injury sustained earlier in the week. Sophomore Olivia Gardner also earned Second-Team All-Conference accolades by finishing in 14th place, while posting a time of 19:42.93. Sophomores Bari Robinson (20:02.61) and Mia Swiersz (20:16.44) finished 26th and 34th, respectively. Fellow sophomore Amber Worthy crossed the line in 38th in a time of 20:20.19.
Freshman Taylor Morris (21:19.85), sophomore Grace Gerlock (21:21.30) and freshman Allison Halperin (21:23.90) collectively finished in a group, in 54th, 55th and 56th, respectively. Redshirt junior Devan Fisher (24:07.58) rounded out the Trojan contingent in 86th.
Defending champion Wingate, which is ranked second in the region
by the USTFCCCA, claimed the team title, while Queens' Megan Wright
claimed the women's individual title to take home the women's
Runner of the Year honor.
The Bulldogs posted 47 points and were followed by Queens, which
holds the No. 8 regional ranking, with 85 points. Anderson, ranked
sixth by the USTFCCCA, claimed the third spot with 92 points and in
fourth was Lenoir-Rhyne with 101 points. Lincoln Memorial's 106
points was good for fifth and in sixth was Mars Hill with 110
points. Brevard claimed the No. 7 position with 207 points and
Coker placed eighth with 217 points. Carson-Newman finished No. 9
with 232 points, ahead of Tusculum who came in 10th with 292
points. Newberry rounded out the field with 324 points. Catawba
did not run enough women to place in the team standings.
Joseph Soehnlen of Wingate earned South Atlantic Cross Country Coach of the Year for the women.
The NCAA Southeast Regionals will be held in Montevallo, Ala. on Saturday, Nov. 22.
