October 8, 2011

Like the Peach Belt on Facebook and follow us on Twitter (@PeachBelt)

ASU Second at Home Invitational

AUGUSTA, Ga. – The Augusta State cross country teams competed Saturday in the annual Jaguar Invitational at Blanchard Wood Park in Evans, Ga.

In the women's 6K race, ASU placed all five runners in the top 20, but couldn't overcome an impressive performance from Georgia State as they finished second. Freshman Jessica Carpenter led ASU with a 10th place finish and a time of 25:00.70. Lyndsay Nichols (14th), Alicia Connolly (15th), Angela Woodward (18th), and Jacquelyn Nagel (19th) also counted for the Jags.

Georgia State runners finished in the top eight spots, led by Hannah Stefanoff's 23:07.40, for the clean sweep.

Conditions were cool and clear, allowing runners a chance to push the pace and create separation throughout the race.

ASU is back in action October 22 in the Peach Belt Conference Tournament at Pacer Path in Aiken, S.C.

UNCP Posts Ninth Place Finish At Walt Disney Classic

KISSIMMEE, Fla. – Senior Livia Mahaffie registered the top performance for the UNCP women's cross country team at the Walt Disney World Cross Country Classic as she finished the 5K race with a time of 19:39.40 to help the Lady Braves to a ninth overall.

Mahaffie posted a 27th place finish while second place finisher for the squad, Ashlee Doughty, crossed the line with a time of 19:39.40 to post a personal-best finish by one second for a 69th place finish.

Annette Sem was the third Lady Brave to finish the race with a time of 20:36.90 for an overall 76th place finish, while freshman Carrie Blankenship finish 84th overall with a time of 20:47.70. Megan Carney rounded out the top five runners for the Lady Braves with a time of 20:55.60 for an 88th place finish.

Freshman Kendra Dorn ran a 20:58.70 time while Rebecca Roman recorded a time of 21:31.70. Julie Sem (21:37.30), Janay Moore (22:10.30) and Blair Long (24:28.80) rounded out the finishers for the Black and Gold.

UNCP collected 313 points in the race and competed against 28 other schools.

The Lady Braves will head to the Peach Belt Conference Championships on October 22 at Pacer Path in Aiken, S.C. The women's 6K race is set to begin at 10 a.m.

UNCP Results
- Livia Mahaffie (27th, 19:39.40)
- Ashlee Doughty (69th, 20:31.40)
- Annette Sem (76th, 20:36.90)
- Carrie Blankenship (84th, 20:47.70)
- Megan Carney (88th, 20:55.60)
- Kendra Dorn (94th, 20:58.70)
- Rebecca Roman (127th, 21:31.70)
- Julie Sem (133rd, 21:37.30)
- Janay Moore (155th, 22:10.30)
- Blair Long (218th, 24:28.80)

Flagler women harriers finish 14th at Disney Classic
 
LAKE BUENA VISTA − The Flagler College women’s cross country team finished in 14th place with 408 points in the 28-team, 269-woman field at the 16th annual Walt Disney World Cross Country Classic held Saturday morning at the Wide World of Sports Complex.

No. 11 (USTFCCA Division II Top 25) University of Tampa topped the field with 48 points. The Spartans had three runners finish in the top 10. Florida Atlantic University finished second with 62 points and had two runners finish in the top 10.

Michelle Jax of FAU was the top runner with a time of 18:08.90 over the 5K course. Jessica Bulter of Tampa finished a distant second with a time of 18:17.60.
 
Kathleen Casagrande led the Flagler contingent with a personal-best time of 20:01.30 and finished in 47th place. Taylor Strekel was right behind Casagrande and finished in 49th place with a time of 20:07.10. Laura McKnight finished 62nd with a personal-best time of 20:23.80. Erin Buning finished in 153rd place with a time of 22:06.70, which is a season-best time. KayKay Shaffer also posted her top time of the season with a mark of 22:11.00 and placed 156th.

Nicole Allen crossed the line at 22:37.60 and finished in 169th place. Melissa Schmidt ran a season-best time of 22:48.20 and finished in 178th place. Madeleine Pinaire finished in 188th place with a time of 23:14.30.
   
Up next for Flagler will be the Peach Belt Conference Championships Oct. 22 at Aiken, S.C.

Team results: 1) Tampa 48; 2) Florida Atlantic 62; 3) Drake 114; 4) Florida Gulf Coast 158; 5) Nova Southeastern 193; 6) UCF 221; 7) Regis (Colo.) 233; 8) Palm Beach Atlantic 267; 9) UNC Pembroke 313; 10) Florida Tech 330; 11) Wingate 332; 12) Hanover 346; 13) Saint Leo 386; 14) Flagler 408; 15) Concordia (Texas) 408; 16) The Citadel 431; 17) Johnson County CC 492; 18) Pasco-Hernando CC 523; 19) Rollins 526; 20) Ashford 531; 21) Hardin-Simmons 553; 22) Cuyahoga CC 568; 23) Webber International 577; 24) Limestone 635; 25) Assumption 655; 26) Tennessee Wesleyan 705; 27) Warner 766; 28) Methodist 767.
 
Top 10 finishers: 1) Michelle Jax (FAU) 18:08.90; 2) Jessica Butler (UT) 18:17.60; 3) Rebecca Hallam (FAU) 18:28.30; 4) Nicole Clarke (FIT) 18:30.30; 5) Heather Nicolosi (UT) 18:38.20; 6) Tereza Novotna (SLU) 18:40.90; 7) Barrie Cohen (FGCU) 18:42.70; 8) Kaia Hampton (UT) 18:52.90; 9) Alexandria Palm (NSU) 18:56.80; 10) Kelly Perzanowski (FGCU) 19:00.20.

Flagler runners: 47) Casagrande 20:01.30; 49) Strekel 20:07.10; 62) McKnight 20:23.80; 153) Buning 22:06.70; 156) Shaffer 22:11.00; 169) Allen 22:37.60; 178) Schmidt 22:48.20; 188) Pinaire 23:14.30.

CSU Cross Country Perfoms Well in Oxford

The Lady Cougars placed 7th out of 12 teams in Oxford. CSU was led by sophomore Moneque English, who finished 23rd at the 5k meet with a time of 19:28.00. Lady Cougar sophomore Moneka English finished high at the meet, as well, placing 35th (19:51.83).

Toe will hit dirt for both Cougar cross country programs, next, at the Peach Belt Conference Championships hosted by USC Aiken October 22nd.

GC Women’s Cross Country Sprints to Third Place Finish
 
AUGUSTA, Ga. – The Georgia College women’s cross country program placed third in the Augusta State University Jaguar Invitational Saturday morning. Sophomore Allison Lones (Kathleen, Ga.) paced the Bobcats yet again and finished ninth overall with a time of 24:44.
 
This is the fifth straight race that Lones has led the Bobcats and 24:44 is her second best time this season running the 6K distance. Freshman Rebecca Shane (Lilburn, Ga.) finished 17th overall with a time of 26:00. Sophomore Ashton Passino (Alpharetta, Ga.) finished the race at 26:11 in 21st place, just two seconds ahead of teammate Madeline McCane (McDonough, Ga.), who finished in 22nd place. This is McCane’s first race during the 2011-12 season placing in the top-five for GC.
 
Victoria Dobson (New Hamburg, Ontario) finished in the fifth spot for GC and 24th overall, running the 6K race with a time of 26:29. The Bobcats finished in third place with 72 points. Georgia State University finished in the top spot with 15 points and Augusta State took second with 61 points.
 
The Bobcats’ next race will be the all-important Peach Belt Conference (PBC) Championships in Aiken, S.C. hosted by PBC foe USC Aiken Oct. 22.