Skip to main content
Partner logo
Mobile Icon Link Mobile Icon Link Mobile Icon Link Gamecocks+

Sept. 9, 2006

Complete Release in PDF Format
dot.gifspacer.gifDownload Free Acrobat Reader

<?xml:namespace prefix=”st1″ ns=”urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags”?>Clemson, S.C. – The South Carolina cross country team is 2-0 this season after winning the Clemson Invitational Saturday morning. The Gamecocks, who won their home meet last week with 38 points, placed three runners in the top five and 11 in the top-20 to score 31 points.<?xml:namespace prefix=”o” ns=”urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office”?>

“It was a really good effort,” head coach Stan Rosenthal said. “We worked hard this week in preparing. I was pleased with the results and how the team competed.”

USC won the event with 31 points, followed by Western Carolina with 48 points and Gardner-Webb with 49 points. South Carolina State placed fourth with 121 points, and Piedmont College finished fifth with 144 points. The University of Georgia was expected to compete but did not attend the Invitational.

Casey Gale, Karen Wigal and Nicki Breves paced the Carolina harriers with top five finishes. Freshman Lisa McKinney also placed in the top-10 for her second consecutive meet. Laura Regensburg rounded out Carolina’s scoring positions and placed No. 10. Carolina ran without three of its top seven runners from last week as Rebecca Chain, Callie Rabun and Anna Petrov sat out with slight injuries and illness.

“It was a good race,” Wigal said. “We were missing people to injuries and sickness, but other people stepped up. We have a lot of depth this year and this meet showed it.”

The Carolina harriers again got off to a quick start as Gale, Wigal and McKinney led the pack at the first mile mark. Runners from Western Carolina and Gardner-Webb began making a push by the second mile, but Gale and Breves continued to hold them off. In the final stretch, the runners from Western Carolina and Gardner-Webb were able to take the top two spots with Gale (3rd), Wigal (4th) and Breves (5th) rounding out the top five.

“We did a good job,” Gale said. “We won, so we’re happy. We put in a good effort. I didn’t think I’d run in first place (for the team). That’s exciting for me.”

Other finishers for Carolina included McKinney (9th), Regensburg (10th), Jackie Vignos (12th), Jessica Nichols (14th), Theresa Verostek (15th), Rebecca Woods (17th), Katie Daly (19th) and Jess Smith (20th).

South Carolina will next compete at the Winthrop Invitational next Saturday in Rock Hill. The Gamecocks will run their “B”-team as they get ready for the Great American Festival in Birmingham the following week.