Dominique Paces Gamecocks at SEC Cross Country Championship
South Carolina finishes 12th of 14
OXFORD, Miss. (Oct. 28, 2022) – For the second consecutive season, veteran runner and team captain Hope Dominique was the first Gamecock to cross the finish line in the Southeastern Conference Cross Country Championship. Dominique turned in a 6K time of 21:12.17 in Oxford, Miss., resulting in a new personal best for the North Carolina native as she finished 52nd overall in the field.
Svenja Sommer was just two seconds behind Dominique, clocking a time of 21:14.19 to finish 55th overall in the standings. Dominique’s mark makes her the eighth-fastest 6K runner in program history, while Sommer earned the title of the 10th-fastest individual in Gamecock history.
South Carolina saw four freshman runners as the next to cross the finish line for the Gamecocks. Gabriella Gait-Smith posted a time of 21:38.67 to finish 80th overall as the 16th-fastest 6K runner in school history. Following the South Africa native was Anna Boyd of Massachusetts who clocked the 17th-fastest time in Carolina history with a mark of 21:39.20 to finish 82nd overall. Hayden Withers was the final countable score for the Gamecocks, finishing in 97th with a time of 21:55.14 to earn 82 points for the Garnet & Black. Ella Zeigler rounded out the string of freshmen runners to cross the line, finishing sixth on the Gamecocks squad with a time of 22:18.11.
Alabama ended Arkansas’s run of nine consecutive SEC Championships after a score of 36, placing four runners in the Top-10. The Razorbacks (74) finished second on the podium, while Ole Miss (83) rounded out the top three. Florida’s Parker Valby captured the individual title after turning in a time of 18:25.87.
South Carolina will now turn its attention to the NCAA Southeast Regional on Friday, Nov. 11 when the Gamecocks run at 10 a.m. in Louisville, Ky.
Team Results
1. Alabama – 36 points
2. Arkansas – 74 points
3. Ole Miss – 83 points
12. South Carolina – 326 points
Individual Gamecock Results
52. Hope Dominique – 21:12.17*
55. Svenja Sommer – 21:14.19*
80. Gabriella Gait-Smith – 21:38.67*
82. Anna Boyd – 21:39.20*
97. Hayden Withers – 21:55.14*
113. Ella Zeigler – 22:18.11*
115. Lily Weeks – 22:19.41*
123. Katerina Hendrix – 22:37.51*
136. Molly Joseph – 23:06.27*
143. Emily Smith – 23:37.69*
144. Emily Pierontoni – 23:42.82*
146. Savannah Bowers – 24:08.72
* – denotes collegiate 6K PR
