UAH ENDS HU DOMINANCE, WINS GSC WOMEN’S CROSS COUNTRY TITLE
Hoover, AL—Alabama-Huntsville ended a five-year run by Harding University to win the Gulf South Conference Women's Cross Country title Saturday at Veteran's Park in Hoover, Ala. The victory earned the Lady Chargers their fourth GSC title and their first since 2004.
UAH’s placed three runners in the top-5 and scored 52 points, outpacing HU’s 68. It was the highest point total for a winner since 1998 and the second-highest in league history.
Alabama-Huntsville’s Jeniffer Cherono won GSC Individual Medalist honors with a time of 18:45, fending off Harding’s Naomi Landecker (19:04), who jumped from ninth in 2009 to second this year. Delta State’s Stacey Hagenson (19:38) finished seventh, earning her GSC Freshman of the Year honors.
West Florida (87) finished third, followed by Arkansas Tech (106), Delta State(119), and West Alabama (145). Christian Brothers (206), West Georgia (207) Valdosta State(238), and North Alabama (308) rounded out the Top-10. Henderson State (311), Ouachita Baptist (332), Arkansas-Monticello (362) and Southern Arkansas (415) completed the 14-team field.
Joining Cherono, Landecker and Hagenson on the All-GSC First Team are HU’s Gladys Kimtai (19:15, 3rd), UAH’s Gwen Kyser (19:23, 4th) and Jill Koch (19:29, 5th), UWA’s Polina Babkina (19:29, 6th) and Carlyn Mancuso (19:44, 9th), UWF’s Karyssa Tourelle-Fallon (19:40, 8th) and ATU’s Cheryl Nolan (19:47, 10th).
Second Team All-GSC accolades went to the 11th through 20th place finishers: ATU’s Michelle Pollreis (11th, 19:50) and Kaitlin Bounds (19:59, 17th) ; UWG’s Megan Jacobs (12th, 19:51);HU’s Rysper Sirma (13th, 19:51) and Mary Samoei (19:53, 15th); UWF’s Kelbe Beck (14th, 19:53), Stacy Paton (16th, 19:56) and McKenzie Carney (18th, 19:59); UAH’s Kristy Ulrich (19th, 20:00); and VSU’s Jordanne Helton (20th, 20:03).
The GSC Head Coaches will vote on the GSC Coach of the Year award Monday afternoon.
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