Women's Cross Country SoCon Runner-Up

Saturday, October 27

Cullowhee, N.C.

10:00 a.m.

Chattanooga

Southern Conference Championships

Men's Results Women's Results

Photo by: SoConSports.com

10/27/2018 4:10:00 PM | Cross Country & Track & Field

Men's 8K Restuls Women's 5K Results Photo Gallery

Emily Poole and Makenzie Jones earned all-conference second team honors. Freshman Jonathan Boyd named to all-freshman team.

By: Anne Wehunt

CHATTANOOGA WOMEN SECOND, MEN EIGHTH AT SOUTHERN CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIPS

CULLOWHEE, N.C. --- The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga women's cross country team finished Runner-Up Saturday morning at the Southern Conference Cross Country Championships and placed two runners on the All-Conference team. The men, without their top performer, finished eighth in the championship race with one getting a spot on the All-Freshman Team.

WOMEN'S RACE RECAP
This is the first time since 2015 that the Mocs have finished second and the sixth time overall. Juniors Emily Poole and Makenzie Jones earned All-Conference Second Team honors. Poole finished 11^th and was named all-conference for the second straight year. Transfer Jones was 13^th overall for the Mocs.

"This is the first meet all season we had everyone healthy and ready," Chattanooga head coach Andy Meyer said. "They ran like they were capable of running and performed well. What's scary about this group is that we can do better!

"Emily ran well to lead us. Mackenzie and Kennedy [Thomson] had great races."

Thomson placed 18^th for Chattanooga as the Mocs' third finisher with a time of 18:44.85. Brianna Nelson was 21^st overall with a time of 19:02.27. Hannah Caldwell was the Mocs' fifth scoring runner across the line in a time of 19:12.54, placing 27^th on the day.

Jones, Thomson and Julia Henderson all posted season-best times for the Mocs.

"Bri has steadily improved all season and Hannah, Nicole [Buehrle] and Sophia [Neglia] ran well also," Meyer said. "I'm so proud of this group. We had four who ran their last conference meet and went out on a high note.

"Emily, Bri, Haley [Morris] and Rebekah [Wich] will definitely be missed. I wish Amanda [Cotter] and I could coach those girls forever. They truly represent what UTC stands for."

Furman claimed its sixth straight title with 25 points. The Paladins placed four on both All-Conference teams. Wofford's Hannah Steelman was more than 16 seconds ahead of Furman's Savannah Carnahan with a time of 17:05.17 and was named the SoCon Runner of the Year.

The Mocs had 84 points for second and two on the all-conference second team. Samford was third behind the Mocs with 103 points. The Bulldogs placed one runner on the first team. ETSU and Wofford tied for fourth with 126 points. Both teams had one runner on the first team while Western Carolina's top finisher led the second team.

MEN'S RACE RECAP
The men, missing two top runners, finished eighth overall. Ryan Gebelein, the Mocs top finisher since his arrival last season, suffered a stress fracture and was not able to join the team on the pitch.

"The guys competed well," Meyer said. "They've been through a tough stretch the last few weeks. One of our top guys decided not to run and we received the news about Ryan on Wednesday.

"The remaining guys didn't quit and this is the happiest I have ever been with an eighth place finish."

Junior Nathan Watson led the Mocs, placing 23^rd overall in a time of 26:32.77 and senior Mark Britt was 31^st with a time of 27:08.78.

"Nathan ran well as did Mark," Meyer said. "Right where we thought they'd be. Jonathan Boyd did great to make the All-Freshman Team."

Boyd was the third Chattanooga runner and across the line and earned a spot on the SoCon All-Freshman Team. He placed 35^th overall with a time of 27:26.43.

The Furman men, with 23 points, won its sixth straight Southern Conference title. All five scoring runners finished in the top seven led by SoCon Runner of the Year Aaron Templeton with a time of 24:01.52 in the 8-kilometer race. The Paladins placed five on the first team and two on the second team.

ETSU was second with 57 points and Samford was third with 72 points. Each team placed one runner on the first team and two on the second. UNCG placed fourth (138) followed by VMI (169) in fifth. The Keydets placed one runner on the all-conference second team.

Furman head coach Robert Gary was named the SoCon Coach of the Year for both the men's and women's teams. Shila Kapaya of ETSU was named the women's Freshman of the Year and Furman's Cameron Ponder claimed the honor for the men.

Pinnacle Award recipients, given to the member of the championship team with the highest GPA, were Furman's Mason Coppi and Savannah Carnahan.

Men's Team Scores

1	Furman	23
2	ETSU	57
3	Samford	72
4	UNCG	138
5	VMI	169
6	Western Carolina	184
7	Mercer	185
8	Chattanooga	203
9	Wofford	238
10	The Citadel	262

Women's Team Scores

1	Furman	25
2	Chattanooga	84
3	Samford	103
T4	ETSU	126
T4	Wofford	126
6	Western Carolina	150
7	UNCG	180
8	VMI	190
9	Mercer	250
10	The Citadel	281

Men's First-Team All-SoCon

Aaron Temple1ton, Furman
Ben Varghese, ETSU
Dillon Dean, Samford
Mason Coppi, Furman
Dillon Dean, Samford
Cameron Ponder, Furman
Daniel Bernal, Furman

Women's First-Team All-SoCon

Hannah Steelman, Wofford
Savannah Carnahan, Furman
Emma Grace Hurley, Furman
Gabrielle Jennings, Furman
Lindsey Stallworth, ETSU
Shian Mallory, Samford
Riley Burr, Furman

Men's Second-Team All-SoCon

Trent Mandato, Furman
Jake Ogden, Furman
Noah Charles, ETSU
Davone Hernandez, VMI
Ben Bryant, Samford
Owen Bailey, Samford
Matthew Scarr, ETSU

Women's Second-Team All-SoCon

Kaitlyn Lingard, Western Carolina
Kristlin Gear, Furman
Emma Kuntz, Furman
Emily Poole, Chattanooga
Reilly Caldwell, Furman
Makenzie Jones, Chattanooga
Jennifer Stephenson, Furman

Men's All-Freshman Team

6	Cameron Ponder, Furman
18	Brandon Hernandez, UNCG
24	Gavin Cooper, ETSU
32	Gavin Jenkins, VMI
35	Jonathan Boyd, Chattanooga
36	Robert Zell, Mercer
27	Thomas Knepshield, UNCG

Women's All-Freshman Team

10	Emma Kuntz, Furman
12	Reilly Caldwell, Furman
20	Shila Kapaya, ETSU
25	Genevieve Schwarz, ETSU
26	Mary Thorne, Samford
33	Carter Marchbanks, Samford
40	Hannah Corson, Mercer

Men's Freshman of the Year
Cameron Ponder, Furman

Women's Freshman of the Year
Shila Kapaya, ETSU

Men's Runner of the Year
Aaron Templeton, Furman

Women's Runner of the Year
Hannah Steelman, Wofford

Men's Pinnacle Award Recipient
Mason Coppi, Furman

Women's Pinnacle Award Recipient
Savannah Carnahan, Furman

Men's Coach of the Year
Robert Gary, Furman

Women's Coaches of the Year
Robert Gary, Furman