SALISBURY, N.C. --- The Tusculum University cross country team competed at the South Atlantic Conference Championship meet Saturday morning at Salisbury Community Park.
The Pioneer women finished seventh overall and the men were ninth out of 13 teams at the meet. Tusculum's women gained one position from their 2021 championship finish, while the men were two spots below their place at last year's meet.
Tusculum will wrap up its schedule at the NCAA Division II Southeast Region meet, which will be held Saturday, Nov. 19 in Wingate, North Carolina.
WOMEN'S RECAP
Junior Emily Coddington was the Pioneers' top finisher, taking 29th place over the 6-kilometer course. Senior Erin Bruce was 41st overall at 26:15.7, followed by junior Judy Chellah in 49th place at 26:47.6.
Freshman Inmaculada Delgado was 58th with a time of 27:28.3, and senior Destiny Lottie was the Pioneers' fifth finisher in 95th place at 35:27.8.
Wingate won the team title with 34 points, followed by Anderson (53 points) and Catawba (78). Tusculum amassed 237 team points, finishing seventh between Carson-Newman (166) and UVA Wise (278).
Catawba's Madison Clay won the individual championship, crossing the line in 21:58.7 to beat Janet Kwambai of Lenoir-Rhyne by 13.5 seconds.
MEN'S RECAP
Senior Antonio Aparicio led the Pioneers with a 47th place finish, crossing the 8-kilometer course in a tie of 28:51.7. Sophomore Bryson Livesay was 51st in 29:02.0, followed by freshman Jerry Ricker in 64th place in 30:18.2.
Freshman DeWayne Morris finished in 85th place at 33:13.7, and sophomore Xavion Bogus was fifth for the Pioneers and 95th overall in the field of 102 runners with a time of 36:17.9.
Wingate had six of the top eight finishers and won the team championship with 23 points, followed by Catawba with 54 points and Anderson with 67 points. Tusculum's team total of 285 points nestled the Pioneers between eighth-place Emory & Henry (283 points) and 10th-place UVA Wise (299 points) in the final standings.
Soheil Boufrizi of Wingate was the individual champion as he posted a time of 25:22.6, finishing just ahead of runner-up Spain Vaughan of Anderson who had a time of 25:27.4.
SAC Cross Country Championship
at Salisbury, North Carolina
WOMEN
Tusculum finishers: 29. Emily Coddington, 24:29.1; 41. Erin Bruce, 26:15.7; 49. Judy Chellah, 26:47.6; 58. Inmaculada Delgado, 27:28.3; 95. Destiny Lottie, 35:27.8.
Team scores: 1. Wingate 34; 2. Anderson 53; 3. Catawba 78; 4. Lenoir-Rhyne 81; 5. Lincoln Memorial 133; 6. Carson-Newman 166; 7. Tusculum 237; 8. UVA Wise 276; 9. Coker 286; 10. Newberry 289; 11. Limestone 302; 12. Mars Hill 312; 13. Emory & Henry 315.
MEN
Tusculum finishers: 47. Antonio Aparicio, 28:51.7; 51. Bryson Livesay, 29:02.0; 64. Jerry Ricker, 30:18.2; 85. DeWayne Morris, 33:13.7; 95. Xavion Bogus, 36:17.9.
Team scores: 1. Wingate 23; 2. Catawba 54; 3. Anderson 67; 4. Lenoir-Rhyne 131; 5. Carson-Newman 142; 6. Lincoln Memorial 163; 7. Limestone 208; 8. Emory & Henry 283; 9. Tusculum 285; 10. UVA Wise 299; 11. Mars Hill 316; 12. Newberry 347; 13. Coker 362.
