Friday, October 29
Kernersville, N.C.
2:00 PM
Gardner-Webb University
at
Big South Conference
Photo by: Todd Drexler/SESPORTSMEDIA.com
Women Finish in 7th, Men in 10th; Sastre and Eavenson Named to All-Academic Team
October 29, 2021 | Cross Country
KERNERSVILLE, N.C. – Gardner-Webb men's and women's cross country competed in the Big South Championships on Friday afternoon. The women's team finished the meet in seventh. The men's team ended the event with 319 points for a tenth-place finish. The team defeated Presbyterian and Hampton.
Charleston Southern won the men's 8K, while High Point won the women's 5K. Athanas Kioko of Campbell won the overall men's race, and Radford's Hannah Moran was first in the 5K.
Patrick Sastre was the first across the line for the 'Dogs in 28:04. This time was a career-best for him in a Big South Conference Championship. Ryan Morita was the next to finish at 28:35. Joe Waller and Ethan Bentley were the next finishers for Gardner-Webb. Waller ended in 29:54, and Bentley in 30:24. Matthew Cloninger was the team's fifth-place runner at 31:59. Mark Mellon, Garry Ankrom, and Cole Ray rounded out the team's performance. Mellon had a 33:53, Ankrom a 33:57, and Ray a 38:46. The men's tenth-place finish marked the best performance for the men since the 2017 championship.
For the women, this is the highest placing in the conference championship the team has had since 2014 with more than ten or more teams competing. The final kilometer of the race saw the 'Dogs move from 9th in the team standings to 7th. Gardner-Webb had 233 points, nudging Longwood out by a point. The Runnin' Bulldogs also finished ahead of USC Upstate, Winthrop, Hampton, and Presbyterian.
Amy Prugh finished first on the team with a 19:40. She was the 35th overall finisher at the event. Hannah Mitchell was the second to come across the line with a 20:53. Camille Sykes and Ashley Eavenson finished back-to-back in the race as 56th and 57th. Sykes had a personal best of 21:01, and Eavenson had a 21:10. Teryn Bour rounded out the team's top five with a 21:21. Taylor Robinson was next at 21:32 followed by Jennifer Escalera at 21:42 to finish the team's first seven. Faith Parandhamaia finished in 21:52. Chloe McDaniel and Brooklyn Tretter were the team's final two finishers. McDaniel had a 22:03, and Tretter had a 22:23.
Both teams exceeded their preseason rankings. The men were picked to finish in 12th, while the women were projected for 10th.
Following the conclusion of the races, the conference named this year's All-Academic Team. Sastre and Eavenson each were selected to the conference's All-Academic Team.
Big South All-Academic Teams
2021 Men's Cross Country All-Academic Team
Rievan Lombard, Campbell
Alan Deogracias, Charleston Southern
Patrick Sastre, Gardner-Webb
Dugion Blackman, Hampton
Hocine Bouchrak, High Point
Nicholas Howell, Longwood
Morris Kimble, North Carolina A&T
William Johnson, Presbyterian College
Sam Sikora, Radford
Nathaniel Edwards, UNC Asheville
Jared Keklak, USC Upstate
Austin Spencer, Winthrop
Men's Cross Country Scholar-Athlete of the Year
Jared Keklak, USC Upstate
2021 Women's Cross Country All-Academic Team
Lesego Mpshe, Campbell
Taylor Barnes, Charleston Southern
Ashley Eavenson, Gardner-Webb
Zuri Rashad, Hampton
Lindsey Ickes, High Point
Caroline Fairbanks, Longwood
Lili Jaraczewski, Presbyterian College
Rachel Millirons, Radford
India Appleton, UNC Asheville
Laura Yarborough, USC Upstate
Olivia Esselman, Winthrop
Women's Cross Country Scholar-Athlete of the Year
Taylor Barnes, Charleston Southern
Charleston Southern won the men's 8K, while High Point won the women's 5K. Athanas Kioko of Campbell won the overall men's race, and Radford's Hannah Moran was first in the 5K.
Patrick Sastre was the first across the line for the 'Dogs in 28:04. This time was a career-best for him in a Big South Conference Championship. Ryan Morita was the next to finish at 28:35. Joe Waller and Ethan Bentley were the next finishers for Gardner-Webb. Waller ended in 29:54, and Bentley in 30:24. Matthew Cloninger was the team's fifth-place runner at 31:59. Mark Mellon, Garry Ankrom, and Cole Ray rounded out the team's performance. Mellon had a 33:53, Ankrom a 33:57, and Ray a 38:46. The men's tenth-place finish marked the best performance for the men since the 2017 championship.
For the women, this is the highest placing in the conference championship the team has had since 2014 with more than ten or more teams competing. The final kilometer of the race saw the 'Dogs move from 9th in the team standings to 7th. Gardner-Webb had 233 points, nudging Longwood out by a point. The Runnin' Bulldogs also finished ahead of USC Upstate, Winthrop, Hampton, and Presbyterian.
Amy Prugh finished first on the team with a 19:40. She was the 35th overall finisher at the event. Hannah Mitchell was the second to come across the line with a 20:53. Camille Sykes and Ashley Eavenson finished back-to-back in the race as 56th and 57th. Sykes had a personal best of 21:01, and Eavenson had a 21:10. Teryn Bour rounded out the team's top five with a 21:21. Taylor Robinson was next at 21:32 followed by Jennifer Escalera at 21:42 to finish the team's first seven. Faith Parandhamaia finished in 21:52. Chloe McDaniel and Brooklyn Tretter were the team's final two finishers. McDaniel had a 22:03, and Tretter had a 22:23.
Both teams exceeded their preseason rankings. The men were picked to finish in 12th, while the women were projected for 10th.
Following the conclusion of the races, the conference named this year's All-Academic Team. Sastre and Eavenson each were selected to the conference's All-Academic Team.
Big South All-Academic Teams
2021 Men's Cross Country All-Academic Team
Rievan Lombard, Campbell
Alan Deogracias, Charleston Southern
Patrick Sastre, Gardner-Webb
Dugion Blackman, Hampton
Hocine Bouchrak, High Point
Nicholas Howell, Longwood
Morris Kimble, North Carolina A&T
William Johnson, Presbyterian College
Sam Sikora, Radford
Nathaniel Edwards, UNC Asheville
Jared Keklak, USC Upstate
Austin Spencer, Winthrop
Men's Cross Country Scholar-Athlete of the Year
Jared Keklak, USC Upstate
2021 Women's Cross Country All-Academic Team
Lesego Mpshe, Campbell
Taylor Barnes, Charleston Southern
Ashley Eavenson, Gardner-Webb
Zuri Rashad, Hampton
Lindsey Ickes, High Point
Caroline Fairbanks, Longwood
Lili Jaraczewski, Presbyterian College
Rachel Millirons, Radford
India Appleton, UNC Asheville
Laura Yarborough, USC Upstate
Olivia Esselman, Winthrop
Women's Cross Country Scholar-Athlete of the Year
Taylor Barnes, Charleston Southern
Players Mentioned
/ Cross Country
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