By Katherine Jamtgaard. ROCK HILL, S.C. — App State redshirt senior Calbert Guest and senior Lauren Johnston set the pace for the Mountaineers in the men’s 10K and women’s 6K, respectively, at the NCAA Cross Country Southeast Regional in Rock Hill, S.C. on Thursday.
In the men’s 10K, Guest led the charge for the Mountaineers, recording a time of 31:17.1 to finish 44th out of 235 competitors.
“I’m incredibly proud of the group we had racing today and the team as a whole,” said Guest. “The year brought a variety of challenges, but I’m thankful for the dedication and resilience the team has shown. It’s been an honor to represent App State for the last four years and I’m encouraged for the future of this team.”
Junior Ethan Lipham stopped the clock at 31:42.5 to finish 69th. In his first appearance at the regional meet, freshman Thomas Wlazlowski recorded a 10K personal best of 32:10.6 to place 84th. Graduate student Ethan Turner rounded out the top-100 with a personal best time of 32:21.9 and freshman Henry Stark posted a personal best of 32:24.0 to finish 104th.
The men’s team placed 14th out of 33 teams with a score of 396.
“Today was a learning opportunity. The group we raced today brought good effort.” said men’s distance coach Brad Herbster.
Senior Lauren Johnston was the first Mountaineer to cross the finish line in the women’s 6K, recording a time of 21:50.7 to place 53rd out of 248 runners.
“This season we overcame so much adversity and all had to work that much harder to get to where we are today,” said Johnston. “I couldn’t be more proud of my team for showing up and giving it their all. Each one of us really stepped up a lot this season, showcasing our strength and resilience from winning conference and making a mark at regionals. I am especially grateful to end my final cross country season with such an amazing team. I can’t wait to take this momentum into the indoor track and field season.”
Fellow senior Jasmine Donohue stopped the clock at 22:22.7 to finish 88th. Seniors Emma Russum and Lana Farris rounded out the top-100 with times of 22:27.5 and 22:35.4, respectively. Freshman Breanna Budzinski rounded out App State’s scoring five, stopping the clock at 22:47.5 to finish 112th in her first NCAA Southeast Regional appearance.
In the women’s 6K, App State finished 16th out of 34 teams with 425 points. App State last finished 16th in the team standings in 2015.
“The NCAA Southeast Regionals today marked the end of a great season,” said women’s distance coach Annie Richards. “The women have been consistent and brought a positive and resilient attitude week after week. I look forward to seeing how their work transfers over into the upcoming indoor track & field season.”
Virginia Tech’s George Couttie took the individual title in the men’s 10K with a time of 29:41.7. In the team standings, Virginia and North Carolina placed first and second, respectively, to advance to the NCAA Championships, which will be held in Madison, Wis. on Nov. 23.
NC State’s Grace Hartman clinched the crown in the women’s 6K with a time of 20:04.2 and led the Wolfpack to a first-place team finish and automatic bid to the NCAA Championships. Virginia placed second in the team standings, also earning automatic qualification to the championship meet.
