Lions Place Third in SAC Championship

BLACK MOUNTAIN, N.C.-- Mars Hill's women's cross country team got two all-conference performances to help the Lions place third in the 2013 Food Lion South Atlantic Conference Championships Saturday morning on Montreat College's Black Mountain Campus.

Jessica Viscusi and Faith Trammell each turned in all-conference performances to pace the Lions to the third-place finish. Viscusi earned First-Team All-SAC, while Trammell earned Second-Team All-SAC honors. Mars Hill has improved their finish in the championship race each of the past two seasons. Wingate won the team championship, paced by two-time SAC Runner of the Year Keeley Wood.

After narrowly missing all-conference honors last season, Viscusi improved her finish by 10 spots to finish fifth overall. The junior ran a time of 19:13. Trammell earned all-conference honors for the second-consecutive season, finishing eighth overall to earn second-team recognition. Trammell ran a time of 19:39.

Heidi Hooker placed 23rd overall in her final SAC Championship race. The senior ran a time of 20:47. Shelby Robinson (32nd) and Anje Kidd (34th) rounded out Mars Hill's point-earners in the race.

Mars Hill will compete in the NCAA Division II Southeast Regional Championships, which will be held Nov. 9 at McAlpine Creek Park in Charlotte. The Lions finished fourth in last year's Regional meet.

Listed below are the complete championship standings, All-SAC Teams and award-winners.

SAC Women's Cross Country Standings
1. Wingate- 19
2. Queens- 60
3. Mars Hill- 98
4. Anderson- 112
5. Lenoir-Rhyne- 145
6. Brevard- 167
7. Lincoln Memorial- 191
8. Catawba- 245
9. Tusculum- 254
10. Carson-Newman- 276
11. Newberry- 293
12. Coker- 297

First-Team All-SAC
Keeley Wood, Wingate
Brittany Tretbar, Wingate
Morgan Neher, Wingate
Alyssa Johnson, Wingate
Jessica Viscusi, Mars Hill
Katharina Seelos, Queens
Andrea Guerra, Queens

Second-Team All-SAC
Faith Trammell, Mars Hill
Brianna Stevens, Wingate
Grace Turner, Lenoir-Rhyne
Syndney Hazel, Anderson
Mathilde Timboni, Queens
Taylor Varnadoe, Wingate
Oh So Young, Queens

All-Freshman Team
Brittany Tretbar, Wingate
Morgan Neher, Wingate
Alyssa Johnson, Wingate
Katharina Seelos, Queens
Oh So Young, Queens

Runner of the Year: Keeley Wood, Wingate
Freshman of the Year: Brittany Tretbar, Wingate
Coach of the Year: Joe Soehnlen, Wingate