Mars Hill looks to repeat at SAC Championships
The Mars Hill cross country teams will head to Hickory, North Carolina for the South Atlantic Conference Championships Saturday, October 21. The meets are scheduled to begin at 9:30 a.m.
MARS HILL, N.C. - The Mars Hill cross country teams will head to Hickory, North Carolina for the South Atlantic Conference Championships Saturday, October 21. The meets are scheduled to begin at 9:30 a.m.
MEN'S PREVIEW
The men's cross country team will look to repeat as SAC champions led by Noah Allison, Brandon Beard and Nick Resor.
Allison has been a consistent top finisher for the Lions over the 2017 season. He kick started the season on September 1 with a 25th overall finish at the Covered Bridge Cross Country Meet in Boone, N.C. with a time of 26:57.50. He placed 2nd overall in D-II runners. Allison followed up the impressive feat by running an even better time the following week at the Furman Invitational. The junior from Marshall, N.C. ran a 25:47.00 which was 45 seconds better than his previous year's effort on the same course.
Nick Resor also ran an incredible time at the Furman Invitational. He ended the day with a 27:15.40 time, a full 1:05 better than his previous run on the same course.
"Resor had an outstanding race," head coach Mike Owens would beam after the performance.
Brandon Beard was instrumental in the Lions coming away with the victory at the Columbus State Cougar Invitational, placing first individually with a personal best time of 25:27.50. Resor placed second and Allison finished fourth overall. Resor once again set a personal best.
Beard continued racing strong, once again finishing as the top Mars Hill runner at the Royals XC Classic on Septished 26th overall with an average mile time of 5:09.
Rounding out their final meet before the championships, Allison turned in a personal record of 25:10.00 at the Queen City Invitational, good for 14th overall. His efforts, along with Garrett Farrimond, Cameron Lackey and company helped the Lions place 4th overall as a team.
"Definitely the best race of the season for the men," Owens said after the meet.
The Lions will defend their championship and look to repeat as they did in the 2013-14 and 2014-15 seasons.
WOMEN'S PREVIEW
The women's cross country team will head into the SAC Championships led by the reigning AstroTurf South Atlantic Conference Women's Cross Country Runner of the Week, Nyla Feeney.
Feeney, a junior from Waxhaw, N.C. has consistently been the Lions' top finisher over the span of five meets. She ran her best race the Royals XC Classic with a time of 19:57.
Freshmen Emily Wilson and Hannah Jones have shown promise in their young careers, often setting new personal records with each meet they run.
The Lions will look to dethrone Queens as the conference champions.
