Men's Cross Country Sets Personal Bests at Big South Championships
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CONWAY, S.C. – The Presbyterian College men’s cross country team had a strong showing at the 2011 Big South Conference Men’s Cross Country Championships on Saturday morning. Although not eligible to win the event until next season, four of the competing six Blue Hose established new personal bests in the 8k race hosted at the Quail Creek Golf Club.
Sophomore Richard Taylor (Spartanburg, S.C.) eclipsed his old best by 34 seconds and led the team with a season’s best time of 28:29. Freshmen JJ Carruth (Landrum, S.C.) and Jordan Huffstetler (Orangeburg, S.C.) also set new personal bests, running 29:16 and 29:47 respectively.
Sophomores Ryan Wasilewski (Easley, S.C.) and Seth Warner (Fort Mill, S.C.) were next to finish for the Blue Hose, both running their season’s best. Wasilewski ran 30:08 and Warner 30:21.
Rounding out the competing six for PC was junior Brian Trail (Marion, S.C.) who beat his old PR by 25 seconds, and stopped the clock at 31:00.
“I couldn’t be happier for the men’s team today. We have trained hard all season, and it is nice to see it pay off in our season finale,” head coach Thad Palmer said. “Our goal is to take this positive energy into our off season and continue to build the program up.”
Liberty junior Zac Edwards won the individual men’s championship with a course record of 23:56 and led the Flames to their seventh straight Big South Conference Championship.
The Liberty men posted 33 points, followed by High Point (40) and VMI (83). In fourth-place was Campbell with 120 points and Winthrop closed the top five 139 points. Radford and Coastal Carolina finished for sixth and seventh respectively with tallies of 168 and 197 points. UNC Asheville finished eighth 223 followed by Charleston Southern (236) and Gardner-Webb (236).
The Flames' Edwards finished first with a course record of 23:56 followed by Jacob Smith of High Point who clocked in at 24:14. Patrick Crawford's time of 24:15 was good for third. High Point's Neal Darmody was fourth with a time of 24:28, followed a second later by Winthrop's Adam Freudanthal who posted of a time of 24:29. The Flames' David Ricksecker checked in at No. 6 with a time of 24:36. Liberty also took the next two spots in Caleb Edmonds (24:46) and Josh MacDonald (24:50). Noah Hagos of VMI was ninth with his time of 24:57 and Morgan Timiney of Campbell rounded out the All-Conference runners with a time of 25:04.
Liberty's Brant Tolsma was named Coach of the Year, while High Point's Reese Ayers was named Freshman of the Year.
High Point's Darmody was tabbed the Big South Men's Cross Country Scholar-Athlete of the Year.
2011 Runner of the Year
Zac Edwards, Liberty
2011 Freshman of the Year
Reese Ayers, High Point
2011 Big South All-Conference Team
Zac Edwards, Liberty
Jacob Smith, High Point
Patrick Crawford, High Point
Neal Darmody, High Point
Adam Freudanthal, Winthrop
David Ricksecker, Liberty
Caleb Edmonds, Liberty
Josh MacDonald, Liberty
Noah Hagos, VMI
Morgan Timiney, Campbell
2011 Scholar-Athlete of the Year
Neal Darmody, High Point
2011 Cross Country All-Academic Team
Neal Darmody, High Point
Hayden Hodges, VMI
Caleb Edmonds, Liberty
Mick McClay, Gardner-Webb
Matt Smith, Charleston Southern
Chris Schulist, Campbell
Cameron Wells, Coastal Carolina
Brian Trail, Presbyterian College
Adam Freudenthal, Winthrop
Coach of the Year
Brant Tolsma, Liberty
