SPARTANBURG, S.C. – Paced by senior Abigail Bozarth's eighth-place finish and with five other Trojans posting career-best times, the Anderson women's cross country team finished second at the 26th South Atlantic Conference Championships, which were hosted by the Trojans on the Milliken Research Center course.
Queens, which is ranked 21st nationally and tops in the Southeast Region in the latest U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) Poll, outdistanced Anderson and Lenoir-Rhyne for its third straight crown.
The Trojans, who are ranked fourth regionally, also finished as runners-up to Queens a year ago. Lenoir-Rhyne's Domtila Kiplagat, who won AstroTurf SAC Runner of the Week on three occasions, covered the 6K course in a time of 21:39.7 to claim SAC Runner of the Year accolades. Carson-Newman's Rachel Strayer earned Freshman of the Year honors after crossing the finish line in sixth place in a time of 22:29.1.
Bozarth very nearly posted a personal-best time, while notching Second-Team All-SAC honors for the second straight year after crossing the finish line in a time of 22:49.4, with sophomore Olivia Evans also capturing Second-Team All-SAC honors by crossing the finish line in a career-best time of 22:52.1 and finishing ninth.
Sophomore Olivia Rish earned Honorable Mention All-Conference accolades after finishing 15th in a career-best time of 23:15.5, with senior Maddie Buddenberg taking 22nd place in a time of 23:41.7. Junior Martha Coleman claimed 27th place in a time of 23:58.8, while Lydia Gambrell (24:24.3) took home 33rd place.
Freshman Kamryn Osterbind posted a career-best time of 24:31.2 and claimed 35th place, with senior Allyson Malone (24:49.7) crossing the finish line in 39th place. Sophomore Hannah Beach (25:46.4) finished 55th and junior Emily Olson finished 59th in a personal-best time of 26:06.2.
Bozarth was also named the recipient of the league's Elite 20 award. The honor is given to the student-athlete with the top cumulative grade-point average based on a minimum of 48 credit hours who is competing at the final site of each of the league's 20 team championship sports. The Summerville, S.C., native carries a 4.0 GPA and is majoring in kinesiology. She also earned the SAC Elite 20 honor at last season's Indoor Track and Field Championships.
Anderson is slated to get back on the course in two weeks at the NCAA Southeast Region Championships, which will be hosted by North Georgia in Oakwood, Ga. The Trojans claimed second place at the Nighthawk's Invitational in a preview of the regional course in late September.
2018 South Atlantic Conference
Women's Cross Country Championship
November 3 – Spartanburg, S.C.
Milliken Research Center
1. Queens – 26
2. Anderson – 80
3. Lenoir-Rhyne – 105
4. Carson-Newman - 108
5. Catawba -121
6. Wingate – 124
7. Tusculum – 178
8. Lincoln Memorial – 249
9. Mars Hill – 265
10. Newberry – 296
11. Coker - 299
First-Team All-Conference
Domtila Kiplagat, Lenoir-Rhyne
Carissa Jenkins, Queens
Natane Deruytter, Queens
Mandi Moxie, Queens
Nicole McMillen, Tusculum
Rachel Strayer, Carson-Newman
Lucie Noall, Queens
Second Team All-Conference
Abigail Bozarth, Anderson
Olivia Evans, Anderson
Allyson Arellano, Queens
Kathie O'Neill, Carson-Newman
Zuzka Durcova, Queens
Hannah Mercer, Catawba
Julie Diaz, Wingate
Honorable Mention All-Conference
Olivia Rish, Anderson
Caroline Hilliard, Lenoir-Rhyne
Aleksa Heeley, Queens
Kylie Dahlberg, Lenoir—Rhyne
Lauryn Tumey, Wingate
Angela Feeney, Mars Hill
Patience Hunt, Catawba
SAC All-Freshman Team
Rachel Strayer, Carson-Newman
Zuzka Durcova, Queens
Caroline Hilliard, Lenoir-Rhyne
Abby Jeske, Wingate
Jordan Cruce, Lenoir-Rhyne
Runner of the Year
Domtila Kiplagat, Lenoir-Rhyne
Freshman of the Year
Rachel Strayer, Carson-Newman
Coach of the Year
Tom Scott, Queens
Elite 20
Abigail Bozarth, Anderson
