BRIDGEPORT, W.Va – The University of Charleston men's and women's cross country teams were both crowned 2022 MEC Champions on Saturday at the MEC Championships at the .
Men
With 29 points, the UC men's team won their fifth consecutive conference title. Ranked #7 nationally, and #1 in the Atlantic Region, the University of Charleston dominated the 8k course as the Golden Eagles saw six of the top ten finishers.
Joao Pereira finished third with a time of 26:18, and following in pursuit, at 26:41 was Thomas Termote. Alejandro Abellaenda highlighted the trio of top five finishers, crossing the finish line at 26:41.
Also in the top ten runners were Charleston's Zane Chalker (26:53), Matthys Bourse (26:57), and Emmanuel Yego (27:05).
Other notable UC runners include:
17
th - Carter Lipscomb - 27:38
18
th - Warren Thiel - 27:39
28
th - Tyler Hayes - 28:23
32
nd - Jaime Blazquez - 28:34
Following UC in the final men's teams standings were Concord with 55 points and Davis & Elkins with 70 points.
The men's team also tied the MEC record by Charleston with six First Team All-MEC runners.
First Team All-MEC
Joao Pereira
Thomas Termote
Alejandro Abellaneda
Zane Chalker
Mattys Bourse
Emmanuel Yego
Second Team All-MEC
Carter Lipscomb
Warren Thiel
MEC Men's Coach of the Year
Nick Bias
On the men's performance, Head Coach Nick Bias said,
"I was very pleased with how the men's team went and executed our race plan by packing up and working together on the very hilly course. They had the Championship Mentality mindset and ran very strong. We, once again, had six First Team All-MEC Runners in the top 10, which is very impressive in a competitive conference! We never take this conference championship for granted and it's always a big deal for us to win our conference championship. We will use this to springboard us as we now prepare for the Atlantic Region Championships in two weeks. Our goal at regionals is to win and defend our regional title and qualify for the NCAA XC Championships in Seattle on December 2nd."
Women
The University of Charleston women's cross-country team set a new conference record with the lowest point total in the history of the MEC Championships with 18 points. In addition, this team-win marks their third consecutive MEC Cross Country Championship. After this championship win, the squad ranks 18
thnationally and 1
st in the Atlantic Region.
Elise Leveel came back to Charleston with extra hardware as she finished first, at 23:55, alongside five other Golden Eagle top ten finishers. Placing second was UC's Flora Tissier at 24:06. Charleston's Lily Dowdell (24:27) and Mercy Jepleting (24:31) rounded out the top five finishers. Clocking in at 24:34 and finishing sixth was Julie LaFare. UC saw another top ten finisher with Madison Woolwine at 24:55.
Other notable UC runners include:
28
th - Indiyah Spetnagel - 27:42
32
nd - Morgan Turner - 28:16
39
th - Arriana Felix - 29:33
With six Charleston First Team All-MEC runners, the UC women's team have set a new MEC record.
First Team All-MEC
Elise Leveel
Flora Tissier
Lily Dowdell
Mercy Jepleting
Julie LaFare
Madison Woolwine
MEC Women's Runner of the Year
Elise Leveel
MEC Women's Freshman of the Year
Julie LaFare
MEC Women's Coach of the Year
Nick Bias
On the women's performance, Head Coach Nick Bias said,
"The women were so impressive with how they grouped up early and really asserted their dominance in this hilly 6k course. I'm so proud of them and how they raced so well. They set a MEC record with the lowest point total in the history of the championships with 18 points. To also have six runners in the top ten is amazing and the hard work they put in each week serves as no surprise to me of how strong this team is. We'll use this momentum as we now prepare for the Atlantic Region XC Championships in two weeks. Our goal there will to be win the school's first regional championship and I believe we can do it if we race like we did today!"
Up Next
Both UC teams will prepare to compete in the NCAA Atlantic Regional on Sunday, November 20
th in Mansfield, Pennsylvania.
