Florida State men win the South Region Cross Country Meet, advancing to Nationals

On Friday, 13 November 2015, on his home course at the Harry Pritchett Running Park in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, the University of Alabama's Antibahs Kosgei won the 2015 NCAA-D1 Men's South Region Cross Country Meet, covering the ten-kilometer route in 30:25.66. But in spite of the winning performance by the 2015 Southeastern Conference Men’s Runner of the Year, it was the visiting Florida State Seminoles that took the South Region team title. Led by the 30:40.62 third-place finish of Harry Mulenga, the Seminoles scored 58 points, edging the 62 put up by runner-up Mississippi. With the win, the Florida State men qualified for the NCAA-D1 National Cross Country Championship at E. P. Tom Sawyer State Park in Louisville, Kentucky, on Saturday, 21 November 2015. Second-place Mississippi also earned a spot at the National Meet. The other teams in the Region, such as third-place Florida and fourth-place Georgia, must wait to see if they get an at-large bid to the Championship.


After Mulenga, the Seminoles other scorers were Zak Seddon (12th, 31:07.14), Jack Goodwin (13th, 31:07.70), Stanley Linton (14th, 31:08.50), and Grant Nyzaka (16th, 31:16.54). Michael Hall (31st, 31:49.91) and Bryce Kelley (98th, 33:18.78) were the sixth and seventh runners for the Seminoles.


"To represent the Florida State Seminoles and be with this team has been such an honor, and it's not over yet," said Stanley Linton. "We're headed to Nationals!"


Tennessee's Chelsea Blaase won the women's six-kilometer race at the South Region Meet, running 20:02.29. Vanderbilt frosh Caroline Pietrzyk finished runner-up in 20:11.53, leading her squad to a score of 65 points and the South Region women's team title. Behind the 20:25.84 sixth-place finish of senior Marta Freitas, Mississippi State took second in the women's team standings with 78 points. Vandy and Mississippi State received automatic bids to the National Championship. Third place Alabama (135 points) and fourth-place Florida State (139 points) must wait to see if they get an at-large bid.


Florida State's team was led by frosh Carmela Cardama Baez, who placed eleventh in 20:25.38. Bridget Blake (19th, 20:54.04), Christine Griggs (20th, 20:54.62), Georgia Peel (27th, 21:05.65), and Sarah Candiano (69th, 21:52.77) also scored for the Lady Seminoles. Courteney West (83rd, 22:08.37) and Fatema Jaffer (93rd, 22:22.68) were Florida State's sixth and seventh runners.


Men's Team Standings, 2015 NCAA-D1 South Region Cross Country

1. Florida State, 58
2. Mississippi, 62
3. Florida, 102
4. Georgia, 127
5. Auburn, 174
6. Alabama, 183
7. Middle Tennessee State, 196
8. Georgia Tech, 211
9. Tennessee, 296
10. Belmont, 296
11. Lipscomb, 298
12. North Florida, 316
13. Mississippi State, 317
14. South Alabama, 344
15. Samford, 353
16. East Tennessee State, 417
17. South Florida, 421
18. Florida Gulf Coast, 428
19. Vanderbilt, 484
20. Chattanooga, 565
21. Memphis, 583

Top 15 Men, 2015 NCAA-D1 South Region Cross Country

1. 30:25.66 ~ Antibahs Kosgei (Alabama) JR
2. 30:33.46 ~ Arse'ne Guillorel (Samford) SO
3. 30:40.62 ~ Harry Mulenga (Florida State) JR
4. 30:42.29 ~ Jimmy Clark (Florida) SR
5. 30:45.75 ~ Eddie Garcia (Florida) SR
6. 30:54.73 ~ MJ Erb (Mississippi) JR
7. 30:55.66 ~ Sean Tobin (Mississippi) SO
8. 30:56.65 ~ Zack Sims (Georgia) SR
9. 30:59.50 ~ Hillary Rono (Middle Tennessee State) SO
10. 31:01.87 ~ Robert Domanic (Mississippi) JR
11. 31:03.74 ~ Redatu Semeon (Auburn) SR
12. 31:07.14 ~ Zak Seddon (Florida State) SR
13. 31:07.70 ~ Jack Goodwin (Florida State) SR
14. 31:08.50 ~ Stanley Linton (Florida State) JR
15. 31:09.25 ~ Craig Engels (Mississippi) JR

Women's Team Standings, 2015 NCAA-D1 South Region Cross Country

1. Vanderbilt, 65
2. Mississippi State, 78
3. Alabama, 135
4. Florida State, 139
5. Auburn, 186
6. Middle Tennessee State, 201
7. Mississippi, 205
8. Lipscomb, 206
9. Florida, 256
10. Georgia, 364
11. South Alabama, 401
12. Chattanooga, 404
13. Florida Gulf Coast, 407
14. Southern Mississippi, 419
15. North Florida, 465
16. South Florida, 483
17. Georgia Tech, 495
18. Belmont, 496
19. Tennessee, 512
20. Jacksonville, 533
21. Central Florida, 557
22. Memphis, 559
23. Florida A&M, 567
24. Georgia State, 619
25. Alabama-Birmingham, 692
26. East Tennessee State, 697
27. Tennessee Tech, 734
28. Alabama State, 736
29. Mercer, 796
30. Georgia Southern, 798

Top 15 Women, 2015 NCAA-D1 South Region Cross Country

1. 20:02.29 ~ Chelsea Blaase (Tennessee) SR
2. 20:11.53 ~ Caroline Pietrzyk (Vanderbilt) FR
3. 20:16.13 ~ Katelyn Greenleaf (Alabama) SR
4. 20:17.72 ~ Hannah Wittman (Belmont) SR
5. 20:18.06 ~ Brenda Kigen (Auburn) FR
6. 20:25.84 ~ Marta Freitas (Miss State) SR
7. 20:27.49 ~ Veronica Eder (Auburn) JR
8. 20:31.51 ~ Vanessa Valentine (Vanderbilt) SR
9. 20:33.25 ~ Ann Asipan (Tennessee-Martin) JR
10. 20:34.34 ~ Rhianwedd Price (Mississippi State) JR
11. 20:35.38 ~ Carmela Cardama Baez (Florida State) FR
12. 20:36.73 ~ Carmen Carlos (Vanderbilt) JR
13. 20:37.26 ~ Teghan Henderson (Chattanooga) JR
14. 20:41.05 ~ Gladys David (Middle Tennessee State) SO
15. 20:41.33 ~ Cornelia Griesche (Mississippi State) SR

Links

• Complete results of the 2015 NCAA-D1 South Region Cross Country Meet
  https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1fGfM0m57o86nt7-PRVJQ6NlzBHD5gr33HZlD4fp5U5k/pubhtml
  
  
• Find your next run on the Trouble Afoot! racing calendar
  http://troubleafoot.blogspot.com/search/label/calendar?max-results=1
  
  

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