Oct. 31, 2009
OXFORD, Miss. – South Carolina’s cross country team had its best finish at the SEC Championships in eight years after the team placed ninth Saturday with 246 points. The finish was the best placing for the Gamecocks since the team took seventh overall at the 2001 championships.
After 16 hours of steady rain, the SEC race was run in sunny weather on a very muddy and hilly course on the campus of the University of Mississippi. After the cold, rainy and muddy conditions at the Gamecocks’ last race at Princeton two weeks ago, the harriers were ready to be mud runners for the second consecutive race. Seeded 10th entering the race, South Carolina’s team overcame the below par performances of their top two runners to record a ninth place finish.
“I was very happy how the team fought today,” head coach Stan Rosenthal said. “We have not been in a field as fast or as deep as the SEC.”
Junior Ashley Evens and freshman Tatum Tyler put forth efforts that made Rosenthal proud at the end of the day. The two runners got out well in the beginning and fought hard to maintain their places. Evens ended the day third on the team in 49th place, and Tyler was behind in 52nd place.
Sophomore Beatrice Biwott ran a great race, moving steady through the second pack and then the back of the first pack to get into the top 18, before hitting the wall with 600 meters to go, finishing 31st overall. Carolina’s other top runner, senior Dani Barnes, had her most difficult race of the season and placed 48th. However, she too fought hard in helping Evens and Tyler as their pack kept together throughout the run. Redshirt freshman Sara Hartley rounded out Carolina’s scoring after she climbed from 90th to 66th to help the team finish ninth. She passed 10 runners the last mile.
Florida claimed the team title with 24 points, followed by Tennessee (80 points) and Arkansas (87 points). Florida’s Rebecca Lowe claimed the individual title at 20:57.35.
South Carolina returns to action Saturday, Nov. 14, when the team travels to Louisville, Ky., to compete at the NCAA Southeast Regional meet. The women’s race is scheduled to begin at 9 a.m.
