Mars Hill's Griggs, Wingate's Wood Qualify for NCAA Cross Country Championship

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Mars Hill freshman Alex Griggs and Wingate junior Keeley Wood qualified as individuals for the 2012 NCAA Division II Cross Country Championship, headlining the SAC's performance at Saturday's Southeast Region meet.

Wood placed second in the women's race, which was held McAlpine Creek Park in Charlotte. The 2012 Food Lion SAC Cross Country Championship individual winner finished with a time of 22.54.3, less than 14 seconds behind regional champion Kaley Glover of Montevallo.

Lenoir-Rhyne, led by a 15th-place individual finish from senior Liz Chaffee, finished the highest of any SAC women's team on Saturday at No. 5. Wingate finished eighth as a team, followed by No. 11 Anderson, No. 12 Lincoln Memorial, No. 14 Mars Hill, No. 18 Brevard, No. 19 Carson-Newman, No. 24 Catawba and No. 26 Tusculum.

Mars Hill's Kristen Trammel and LMU's Sofia Lopez Mimendi finished in the top 20 of the individual standings, with Trammel placing 17th and Mimendi 20th.

In the men's 10K run, Griggs qualified for the national championship with a fifth-place individual finish. The freshman completed the course in 32.00.6.

Behind Griggs, Mars Hill placed fourth as a team, one spot shy of qualifying for the national meet.

Wingate junior Steve Hammond, who won the individual title at last month's Food Lion SAC Cross Country Championship, also turned in a top-10 performance, placing eighth. The Bulldogs finished ninth as a team.

Also turning in top-20 individual performances on Saturday were Mars Hill freshman Cesar Reyes, who placed 13th, and Tusculum sophomore David Cooper, who finished 19th.

Lincoln Memorial placed 10th in the team standings, followed by No. 11 Lenoir-Rhyne, No. 15 Anderson, No. 18 Newberry, No. 19 Catawba, No. 20 Brevard, No. 22 Tusculum and No. 25 Carson-Newman.

The 2012 NCAA Division II Cross Country Championship will take place on No. 17 in Joplin, Mo.

[NCAA Southeast Region Championship Results: Men | Women ]