Wingate Captures SAC Women's Cross Country Title

BLACK MOUNTAIN, N.C. – Led by the race's top four individual finishers, Wingate won the 2013 Food Lion SAC Women's Cross Country Championship on Saturday, giving the program its first conference title since 2007.

Pacing Wingate was senior Keeley Wood, who claimed her second-straight SAC Championship individual title by crossing the finish line in a time of 18:47.3 – an improvement of 40 seconds from 2012. The Bulldogs finished with 19 team points, marking the best team score at the event since Carson-Newman also posted 19 at the inaugural SAC Championship in 1993.

Wingate's Brittany Tretbar, Morgan Neher and Alyssa Johnson finished second, third and fourth, respectively, joining Wood as All-SAC First Team honorees. Tretbar's time of 19:03.2 also earned her SAC Freshman of the Year accolades.

Queens – competing in its first SAC Championship – finished second in the team standings with 60 points. The Royals were led by a pair of All-SAC First Team finishers – Katharina Seelos and Andrea Guerra – who placed sixth and seventh, respectively, in the individual standings.

Mars Hill finished third as a team behind All-SAC First Team performer Jessica Viscusi, followed by No. 4 Anderson, No. 5 Lenoir-Rhyne, No. 6 Brevard and No. 7 Lincoln Memorial.

Completing the team standings were Catawba at No. 8, Tusculum at No. 9, Carson-Newman at No. 10, Newberry at No. 11 and Coker at No. 12.

Following the race, Wingate's Joe Soehlen was selected as the 2013 SAC Coach of the Year.

2013 Food Lion SAC Women's Cross Country Championship - Team Standings

Team (Points)

1. Wingate (19)

2. Queens (60)

3. Mars Hill (98)

4. Anderson (112)

5. Lenoir-Rhyne (145)

6. Brevard (167)

7. Lincoln Memorial (191)

8. Catawba (245)

9. Tusculum (254)

10. Carson-Newman (276)

11. Newberry (293)

12. Coker (297)

All-SAC First Team

Keeley Wood, Wingate

Brittany Tretbar, Wingate

Morgan Neher, Wingate

Alyssa Johnson, Wingate

Jessica Viscusi, Mars Hill

Katharina Seelos, Queens

Andrea Guerra, Queens

All-SAC Second Team

Faith Trammell, Mars Hill

Brianna Stevens, Wingate

Grace Turner, Lenoir-Rhyne

Syndney Hazel, Anderson

Mathilde Timboni, Queens

Taylor Varnadoe, Wingate

Oh So Young, Queens

All-SAC Honorable Mention

Bari Rbinson, Anderson

Ashley Hinderer, Wingate

Olivia Gardner, Anderson

Caroline Christiansen, Brevard

Laura Rhyne, Lenoir-Rhyne

Aura Penalosa, Lincoln Memorial

Audrey Sizemore, Queens

SAC All-Freshman Team

Brittany Tretbar, Wingate

Morgan Neher, Wingate

Alyssa Johnson, Wingate

Katharina Seelos, Queens

Oh So Young, Queens

SAC Runner of the Year: Keeley Wood, Wingate

SAC Freshman of the Year: Brittany Tretbar, Wingate

SAC Coach of the Year: Joe Soehnlen, Wingate