Saturday, October 29, 2005

BUIES CREEK, N.C.—Belmont University won its fourth-consecutive Atlantic Sun Conference cross country championship and Kennesaw State took the Women's title Saturday morning at Campbell University in Buies Creek, N.C. East Tennessee State finished close behind in second place, while the host Camels crossed the line in fourth.

The Bruins Brad Polley won the individual title running the 8K course in 25:19 beating out his teammate Adam Bishop and Kennesaw State’s Jason Waters by just two seconds.

Belmont becomes the first team since Florida International to win four-consecutive titles; FIU completed the feat from 1991-94. The last A-Sun school to win five-consecutive men’s cross country championships was the University of Texas at San Antonio who did it from 1986-1990.

Belmont and East Tennessee State each placed four runners on the All-Conference Team, while Kennesaw State and Campbell each had one. The A-Sun All-Freshman Team is comprised of two runners from ETSU and one apiece from Belmont, Kennesaw State and Gardner-Webb.

Bruin runners took the first, second, fifth, sixth and 17th spots to claim the title with 31 points, which is tied for the third lowest score to win a championship in the last 14 years; Louisiana-Monroe set the A-Sun record in 1981 winning with 16 points.

ETSU runners finished in seventh, eighth, ninth, 10th and 12th for a 41-point second place finish; paced by Peter Dalton’s 25:29. Kennesaw State came across in third (78) followed by Campbell (125), Gardner-Webb (137), North Florida (139), Lipscomb (189), Mercer (231), Stetson (274), Florida Atlantic (277) and Jacksonville (331).

Team Results:
1. Belmont (31)
2. East Tennessee State: (46)
3. Kennesaw State (78)
4. Campbell (125)
5. Gardner-Webb (137)
6. North Florida (139)
7. Lipscomb (189)
8. Mercer (231)
9. Stetson (274)
10. Florida Atlantic (277)
11. Jacksonville (331)

All-Conference:
Brad Polley—Belmont
Adam Bishop—Belmont
Jason Waters—Kennesaw State
Jeremy Helf—Campbell
Daniel Matena—Belmont
Caleb Swartz—Belmont
Peter Dalton—East Tennessee State
Benard Towett—East Tennessee State
Joshua Hicks—East Tennessee State
Jeff Crane—East Tennessee State

All-Freshman Team:
Caleb Swartz—Belmont
Jeff Crane—East Tennessee State
Abdi Chepkwony—East Tennessee State
Daniel Gormley—Kennesaw State
Joshua Hudson—Gardner-Webb

Coach of the Year:
Jeff Langdon, Belmont

Championship Page