NSU Sharks News
Women's Cross Country Fourth at SSC Championships
Three place in the Top-20
Lakeland, Fla. (Oct. 24, 2009) - Nova Southeastern University's men's cross country placed second and the women's team was fourth as the Sharks competed at the 2009 Sunshine State Conference Championships held at Sanlan Ranch and Bramble Ridge Golf Course on Saturday morning. Florida Southern won the men's title for the 13th-straight year, while Tampa claimed its third-straight women's crown. For the men's team, the Sharks' second-place team finish is the highest NSU has placed at the SSC Championships. NSU totaled 50 points.
NSU had five runners place in the Top-15. Matt Meagher (Sr., Mansfield, Mass.) paced the men's team during the 8K race. Matt Meagher ran a career-best time of 25:57.97 and placed sixth. Only nine seconds separated the pack of Kevin Meagher (Fr., Mansfield, Mass.), Agustin Rey (Jr., Coral Springs, Fla.) and John Besharat (Jr., Miami, Fla.). Kevin Meagher clocked a career-best time of 26:28.91 and was ninth. Rey was 10th with a time of 26:33.14, while Besharat finished in 11th with a season-best time of 26:37.65. Brendan Chwalek (Fr., Sellersburg, Ind.) also finished in the Top-15, covering the course in a personal record time of 26:46.88 and placing 14th.
Jonathan Junkins (So., Lecanto, Fla.) took 18th with a time of 27:12.88. Joe Peña (Jr., Jacksonville, Fla.) was right behind in 19th, crossing the finish line in a career-best time of 27:15.57. Mike Greiner (Fr., Palm Coast, Fla.) and Michael Whitehead (Fr. Florence, Ky.) also had a personal-best 8K times. Greiner ran 27:59.47 and finished 27th, while Whitehead was 29th with a time of 28:13.66.
Chris Jacob (So., Naples, Fla.) covered the course in a time of 8:27.35 and was 31st. Robert Rowe (Fr., Miami, Fla.) ran 29:01.99 and was in 37th. Nico Crecco (Fr., Mendon, N.Y.) placed 51st with a career-best time of 31:52.88 a 34-second improvement from his previous top 8K time of 32:26.70 ran at the Mountain Dew Invitational. Ivan Almanza (Fr., Hollywood, Fla.) took over a minute off his previous career-best 8K time as he ran 34:33.14 and placed 59th on Saturday. Rounding out the Sharks was Kevin Yarbrough in 60th with a personal record time of 35:15.35, which was close to two-minutes faster than his previous career-best 8K time.
Florida Southern totaled 26 points in the team standings. Florida Southern also had the men's individual champion for the sixth-consecutive year. Ben Martucci finished the 8K course in a race-winning time of 25:01.88.
On the women's side, it was the first time this season in which the Sharks competed in a 6K race. Krystal Porter (Sr., Raytown, Mo.) led the team with an 11th-place finish, covering the course in a time of 23:13.34. Tara Haddock (Sr., Citrus Springs, Fla.) ran a career-best time of 23:42.19 and placed 14th. Juliana Tabares (Fr., West Palm Beach, Fla.) was 16th with a time of 24:01.70. Kristina Williams (Fr., Fort Worth, Texas) crossed the finish line in a time of 25:25.07 and in 28th-place. Alice Henley (Sr., Plantation, Fla.) was 40th with a career-best 6K time of 26:38.13 taking 55 seconds off her previous top 6K time of 27:33.50 ran at the 2007 SSC Championships. StacyAnn Daley rounded out the Sharks in 51st with a time of 30:20.09.
Tampa compiled 21 points. In addition to their third straight team title, it is also the seventh time in eight years in which the Spartans won the team championship. Florida Tech's Sara Trane won the women's individual championship with a time of 21:10.32. It is the first time since Suzanne Ernst in 1996 in which the women's individual champion was not from Florida Southern or Tampa.
NSU returns to action in two weeks when the Sharks race in the 2009 NCAA South Region Championships on Saturday, Nov. 7. The meet, hosted by Tampa, will take place at the Sydney Dover Trails in Dover, Fla. The men's 10K race is scheduled for 8 a.m., while the women's 6K is set for 9 a.m.
