PINEVILLE, Ky. - With a trio of runners finishing in the top-12, the Anderson women's cross country team captured third place at the 2015 South Atlantic Conference Championship, hosted by Lincoln Memorial, at the Wasioto Winds Golf Course in Pineville, Ky. on Saturday.
Two-time defending champion Wingate, which was ranked second in the most recent U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) DII Southeast Region Rankings, earned its third straight SAC title. Queens captured second place, while the Royals' Catie Byrd was named the SAC Women's Runner of the Year after completing the 5k course in 18:17.1, more than 23 seconds ahead of her nearest competitor.
The Trojans, No. 3 in the latest USTFCCCA poll, were searching
for their third overall conference crown after bringing home the
hardware in 2010 and 2011.
Junior Olivia Gardner earned First-Team All-Conference honors by
posting a team-best time of 18:58.0, which was 44 seconds faster
than her time at the league championships a year ago when she was
named Second-Team All-SAC. The native of Tarpon Springs, Fla.,
finished fourth on Saturday.
Sophomore Haylee Love also collected First-Team All-SAC accolades with a seventh-place finish in a time of 19:04.3, which was 11 seconds faster than a year ago, when she garnered Freshman of the Year and Second-Team all-league accolades. Fellow sophomore Alex Dixon was named Second-Team All-Conference for the second straight year after finishing 12th in a time of 19:28.8.
Freshman Martha Coleman narrowly missed garnering Second-Team All- Conference honors, but captured All-Freshman team recognition by crossing the finish line in 22nd in a time of 20:10.4. Junior Mia Swiersz was just 14 seconds off her personal-best time, while finishing 31st in a time of 20:31.7. Freshman Abigail Bozarth posted a time of 20:35.8, while crossing the line in 32nd, and junior Grace Gerlock finished 42nd in a time of 20:55.9.
Freshman Maddie Buddenberg (21:26.6) and sophomore Allison Halperin (21:30.5) finished 50th and 52nd, respectively, with junior Amber Worthy rounding out the Trojan contingent in 56th with a time of 21:36.4.
Next up for the Trojans is the NCAA Southeast Regional, which will be hosted by Wingate on Nov. 7.
SAC Women's Cross Country Runner of the Year:
Catie Byrd, Queens
SAC Women's Cross Country Coach of the Year:
Ashley Glover, Wingate
SAC Women's Cross Country Freshman of the Year:
Abbie Adams, Catawba
All-SAC First Team
Catie Byrd, Queens
Alyssa Johnson, Wingate
Sam Haering, Wingate
Olivia Gardner, Anderson
Whitney Elliott, Lincoln Memorial
Abbie Adams, Catawba
Haylee Love, Anderson
All-SAC Second Team
Sydney Lautzenheiser, Wingate
Priscah Jemeli, Carson-Newman
Summer McFadden, Queens
Morgan Neher, Wingate
Alex Dixon, Anderson
Madison Hiatt, Wingate
Juliet Salgueiro, Wingate
All-SAC Honorable Mention
Valerie Griesche, Wingate
Anna Clapsaddle, Wingate
Megan Delamer, Queens
Hannah Cook, Brevard
Louise Hill-Sterling, Queens
Sarah Bomkamp, Queens
Mercy Muhuhu, Coker
All-Freshman Team
Abbie Adams, Catawba
Sydney Lautzenheiser, Wingate
Priscah Jemeli, Carson-Newman
Martha Colemen, Anderson
Uria Thomas, Lincoln Memorial
