Saturday, November 6, 2004

BLUE HOSE CROSS COUNTRY FINISH 12th & 16th AT 
NCAA DIVISION II SOUTHEAST REGIONAL MEET

WINGATE, N.C. – The Mars Hill College men and women’s cross country teams took home top honors at the 2004 NCAA Division II Southeast Region Meet held Saturday morning at the Wingate University Cross Country Facility. Presbyterian College finished 12th in the women's race and 16th in the men's race.  

The Blue Hose top finishers was Helen Fout (30th) for the women and Matthew Elliott (39th) for the men.

The Mars Hill men's team will make its third consecutive trip to the NCAA Division II National Championships, hosted by the University of Southern Indiana at the USI Cross Country Course on Nov. 20. The Mars Hill women's team will make its fourth appearance at nationals and its third in a row. Mars Hill College coach Mike Owens was voted NCAA Division II Southeast Region Coach of the Year for both men and women.
 
Men's 10K
 
In the men's 10K race, Mars Hill compiled 30 points. Lenoir-Rhyne College finished second with 108 points. Both teams will advance to the NCAA Division II National Championships.

St. Augustine's College junior Larry Marshall set a Wingate University cross country facility record, winning the 10K race with a time of 32:18. Marshall shattered the old record by two minutes. The previous record was set by Coker College sophomore David Green (34:18) at the Wingate University Invitational on Sept. 18, 2004. Seventeen runners broke the previous record this afternoon.

Marshall is one of three student-athletes who will advance to the NCAA Division II National Championships as an individual. Livingstone College freshman Darius Shade finished second in 32:20, while Catawba College junior Ryan Willis claimed the fifth spot in 33:09. Willis will make his second straight appearance at nationals, as he also qualified in 2003.

The top 17 finishers received All-Southeast Region honors. Marshall was voted the 2004 NCAA Division II Southeast Region Runner of the year.
 
Women's 6K
 
In the women's 6K race, Mars Hill edged runner-up Wingate 62-80 to claim the regional crown. With the second-place finish, the Wingate University women's cross country team will make its first-ever appearance as a team at nationals.

Carson-Newman College junior Margaux Cowan-Banker won the women's 6K race with a time of 22:41. For her efforts, she was voted the 2004 NCAA Division II Southeast Region Runner of the Year. Cowan-Banker edged Wingate senior Sarah Utz (Columbus, N.C.) by two seconds for the victory. Utz earned second place at 22:43. 

Cowan-Banker was one of three student-athletes who will advance to the NCAA Division II National Championships as an individual. Tusculum College senior Amanda Musick (third, 22:58) and Anderson College freshman Jennifer Hitt (fourth, 23:01) will join Cowan-Banker and the Mars Hill and Wingate teams in Evansville. Musick earns her second trip to nationals, as she participated in the 2003 meet as well. The top 17 finishers received All-Southeast Region honors. 

PC Men's Notables:

39. Matthew Elliott (Green Sea, S.C.) - 35:32
88. Thad Palmer (Union, S.C.) - 38:19
93. Nate Price (Atlanta, Ga.) - 38:37
97. Luke Faulkenberry (Laurinburg, N.C.) - 38:53
101. Nicholas Williams (Greenwood, S.C.) - 38:59
116. Brandon Galloway (Pisgah Forest, N.C.) - 41:00
120. David Hill (Duncan, S.C.) - 42:05
125. Dustin Williams (Columbia, S.C.) - 42:38

PC Women's Notables:

30. Helen Fout (Myrtle Beach, S.C.) - 24:47
61. Amanda Garvin (Lilburn, Ga.) - 26:38
63. Tina DeYoe (Palm Coast, Fla.) - 26:46
64. Kate Whipple (Irmo, S.C.) - 26:46
85. Ashley Harris (West Columbia, S.C.) - 28:26
89. Laura Burgess (Spartanburg, S.C.) - 29:06
91. Kari Koch (Conyers, Ga.) - 29:40