Wingate Wins Third-Straight South Atlantic Conference Women's Cross Country Title
Pineville, Ky. (TheSAC.com) - Wingate won its third-straight South Atlantic Conference Women's Cross Country Title Saturday morning as it claimed the 2015 SAC Women's Cross Country Championship. The Wingate Bulldogs put three runners in the top-10.
Queens' Catie Byrd was named the SAC Women's Runner of the Year after completing the 5k course in 18:17.1, 23 seconds ahead of her nearest competitor.
Wingate finished with 37 points to claim their third-consecutive SAC Championship. Queens took runner-up honors with 64 points, while Anderson notched a top-3 finish in third with 74 points. Fourth-place Carson-Newman (145), fifth-place Coker (149) and sixth-place Lincoln Memorial (156) rounded out the top half of the field.
Catawba (166), Mars Hill (211) and Lenoir-Rhyne (249) took seventh, eighth and ninth respectively, while Tusculum (271), Brevard (276) and Newberry (334) completed the race.
SAC Champion Catie Byrd headlined the seven All-SAC first team recipients. Wingate's Alyssa Johnson and Sam Haering took second and third place, while Anderson's Olivia Thompson and Lincoln Memorial's Whitney Elliott were crossed the finish line in fourth and fifth place. Catawba's Abbie Adams - the SAC Freshman of the Year - was the race's sixth-place finisher, while Anderson's Haylee Love garnered the final All-SAC first team spot.
Wingate also landed three runners on the All-SAC second team with Sydney Lautzenheiser, Morgan Neher and Madison Hiatt placing eighth, 11th and 13th. Carson-Newman's Priscah Jemeli was the ninth-place runner, while Queens' Summer McFadden took 10th. Anderson's Alex Dixon earned the seventh All-SAC second team spot.
Queens and Wingate each had three racers receive All-SAC honorable mention recognition, while Brevard's Hannah Cook also was awarded that distinction.
The All-Freshman Team played out as follows: Abbie Adams, Catawba; Sydney Lautzenheiser, Wingate; Priscah Jemeli, Carson-Newman; Martha Coleman, Anderson; Uria Thomas, Lincoln Memorial.
The 12 South Atlantic Conference women's cross country programs now direct their attention to the NCAA Division II Southeast Regional meet, which is being held in Wingate, N.C. on November 7.
SAC Women's Cross Country Runner of the Year: Catie Byrd, Queens
SAC Women's Cross Country Coach of the Year: Ashley Vaughn 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
Abbie Adams, Catawba
Sydney Lautzenheiser, Wingate
Priscah Jemeli, Carson-Newman
Martha Colemen, Anderson
Uria Thomas, Lincoln Memorial