The Spring Hill women’s cross-country team wins its third straight league championship.
Photo | Courtesy SHC
The women’s cross-country team at Spring Hill College (SHC) has continued to excel in the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC). The Badgers recently won their third-straight league championship at Winthrop Farms in Rock Hill, S.C.
The Badgers finished with 30 points in a field of nine teams with an average team time of 21:20 (1:46:39 total time) over the 5,000-meter course. The win follows SIAC trophies in 2018 and 2019, while the 2020 championship was canceled because of COVID-19.
“We had an amazing day,” SHC head coach Craig McVey told Lagniappe. “Today, we finally raced like we can. To a person, we raced really, really hard. Our race plan was spot-on and all seven runners did a great job with it. To have four athletes on the all-conference team and six of the top 14 finishers says a lot.”
Senior Mary Elizabeth Shelton scored one point as the conference runner-up in a time of 19.56.5, while sophomore Madeline Knightly posted a time of 21:14.9 for three points. Kayla Chance of Savannah State University earned the individual championship with a time of 19:29.0 over the field of 65 runners.
Junior Cat Dulle finished with five points in 21:27.5 and freshman Claire Morgan (a graduate of Mobile’s Baker High) had a time of 21:37.3 for nine points. Freshman Victoria Morera closed out the SHC scoring with 12 points in a time of 22:22.5. Freshman Grace Forbes ran a time of 22:29.6 for 14th place and junior Caroline Weisinger registered a time of 23:17.5 for 19th place.
“It was a rough race, but the tougher it got, the tougher we raced,” McVey continued. “It had been two years since we were at a conference cross-country championship and that gap could have set us back, but our women’s squad’s whatever-it-takes mentality took them to their third consecutive title. I’m totally thrilled for them. This victory is one of the ‘wow’ moments we wanted to have to look back on coming into this year — just an amazing and gutsy effort.”
As top 10 finishers, Shelton, Knightly, Dulle and Morgan earned all-conference team recognition following the race. Shelton was named the SIAC Runner of the Week twice during September.
With the win, the Badgers have qualified for the 2021 NCAA Division II South Region Cross-Country Championships. It will take place at Abbey Golf Course in St. Leo, Fla., this Saturday at 8:30 a.m. Eastern Time.
- The male runners for Spring Hill took third place at the SIAC meet. The Badgers finished with 70 points in an average team time of 30:01 (2:30:04 total time) over the 8,000-meter course. Benedict College was the team champion in a field of 12 teams with 38 points and an average time of 28:27 (2:22:14 total time).
“For our men’s team to run third in this championship meet is a huge deal,” McVey told Lagniappe. “We are one of the youngest teams in the conference, so to be six points out of the runner-up spot we were in two years ago is crazy, but great.”
Sophomore Will Tate was the top Badgers’ runner, scoring four points in a time of 28:23.2. Freshman Myles Cook of Spanish Fort scored 11 points at 29:25.9. Nelson Kipkemboi of Benedict was the individual champion in 26:28.8 to lead the field of 71 runners.
Freshman Thomas Monier scored 15 points at 30:40.9; junior Brian Pempel of Spanish Fort had 16 points at 30:42.8; and freshman Harrison Weisinger closed out the Badgers’ scoring with 19 points in 30:50.9. Freshman Ridge Chautin recorded a time of 31:37.8.4 for 27th place and sophomore TJ Gennari came in at 29th with a time of 32:53.9.
“This team is still learning to race at 8,000 meters,” McVey said. “We’re so much tougher than just one month ago. They raced every inch of the course, just like we knew we’d have to. It was just great, tough racing by everyone.”
With his fourth-place finish, Tate earned a spot on the 2021 SIAC all-conference team. He was also a SIAC Runner of the Week in September.
“Tate had his best race of the season,” the coach said. “He was as tough as we needed him to be today to try to chase down the runner-up spot. Cook finally found himself at 8 kilometers. He was just that much better and tougher. That’ll be his standard moving forward. Cook was just flat out on a mission.”
College honors
- Preston Webb of the University of Mobile men’s cross-country team was named Southern States Athletic Conference’s (SSAC) Men’s Runner of the Week. According to the news release, the sophomore has clocked the best time throughout every meet for the Rams. At a race hosted by Florida State, Webb covered 8K in 27:54. The Rams will compete in the SSAC Cross-Country Championship Meet this Friday in Oakville, Ala.
- University of South Alabama cross-country runner Kirami Yego has been named the Sun Belt Conference’s Male Runner of the Week for the third time this season. The freshman from Kenya set a new personal best and recorded his seventh career top 15 finish at the 20th annual Live in LOU Classic hosted by the Louisville Sports Commission. His time of 23:42.8 over 8K is the eighth-fastest in USA history.
- The University of Mobile’s volleyball team has had several members recognized for their play this season. Melea Meadows has been Defender of the Week three times, as she is averaging 4.92 digs per set. Sarah Warren has been Setter of the Week on two occasions, as she leads the Rams with an average of 6.30 assists per set. Rachel Hart is another Defender of the Week, after recording nine solo blocks and 10 block assists in two conference matches. Abby Andrews, a junior out of Baker High, earned Setter of the Week honors after recording 59 kills and 44 digs in a four-game stretch. The Rams will attempt to defend their SSAC championship title when the tournament opens Nov. 11 in Montgomery.
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