Lions Seeking 17th-Consecutive SAC Championship

MARS HILL, N.C.—Mars Hill's men's cross country team will seek their 17th-consecutive South Atlantic Conference Championship when they host the 2013 Food Lion SAC Cross Country Championship this Saturday in Black Mountain.

Lion men's cross country teams have captured the past 16 SAC titles, an unprecedented streak in conference history. This year's group enters the SAC Championship ranked fifth in the Southeast Region by the U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA). MHU is the top-ranked SAC team in the poll and has not finished behind another SAC team in any race this season. The SAC Championship race will be held on the campus of Montreat College. The 8K men's race is slated to begin at 10:00 a.m.

Mars Hill has placed second in three events this season- the Spartanburg Eye Opener, Hyder-McMahill Invitational and Royals Pre-Region Challenge. The Lions also placed third in the Winthrop Invitational and fifth in the Louisville Classic. The top four MHU runners have finished head of the top runner from another SAC school in three races this season.

Alex Griggs enters the Championship race among the contenders for SAC Runner of the Year. Griggs has won SAC Men's Cross Country Runner of the Week honors twice this season. Felix Duchamp of Queens is the only SAC runner to finish ahead of Griggs in a race this season.

Depth could prove to be a deciding factor in this weekend's race. Mars Hill's top four runners have consistently outperformed their counterparts from other SAC schools in races this season.

Freshman Nathan Jones, junior Derek Gibson, sophomore Cesar Reyes and senior Brady Adcock have all finished among those top four runners. Kiel Bollero, Carter Benge and Chase Shermer have turned in strong performances to help the Lions' depth all season as well.

Lenoir-Rhyne is the only other SAC school to be represented in the USTFCCCA regional rankings. The Bears enter the conference meet ranked ninth. Queens, Anderson and Wingate have also been ranked at various points this season. Student-athletes from all 12 SAC-member institutions will compete in the race.

There is no admission to the SAC Championship race. Parking is available on-site. Directions are listed below.

Directions

-From Hwy 40, take exit 64 for Black Mountain

-Go north on Hwy. 9

-Turn left at Vance Avenue (next to Shell gas station)

-Follow the yellow "Race" signs