FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Katie Parker, kparker@uscupstate.edu

Results

FORT MYERS, Fla. – USC Upstate women's cross country team had seven athletes record personal-best times as the team finished ninth at the 2012 Atlantic Sun Conference Championships Saturday hosted by Florida Gulf Coast University.

Sophomore Jasmine Polite (Goose Creek, Ga.) led the Spartans, turning in a personal-record time of 18:49.50 to come in 24th-place. Her previous PR was 19:06.25, which she recorded Oct. 13 at the Upstate Invite. Freshman Anastasia Kolesnitchenko (Boiling Springs, S.C.) was the second Upstate finisher. She also posted a personal-best time of 19:15.10, placing 35th.

"It was our best race of the season so I was proud of our girls," said Upstate Associate Head Coach Carson Blackwelder. "Our girls turned in some fast times so that was encouraging to see as we head to regionals in a few weeks. Having seven athletes post PRs is always good to see."

Upstate's third finisher was senior Hannah Chaney (Brunswick, Ohio), crossing the finish line with a career-best mark of 19:45.70. Her classmate Laura Transue (Anderson, S.C.) was close behind, also turning in a personal-record with a time of 19:59.00, beating her 2010 mark of 19:59.68. Sophomore Erin Gethin (Cocoa Beach, Fla.) followed with a career-best time of 20:02.50.

The next Spartan finisher was freshman Nia Payne (Conway, S.C.), who turned in a personal-record of 20:10.60. She was followed by freshman Ashleigh Torres (Roanoke, Va.) with a PR of 20:16.2, while junior Sarah Boyd (Dalton, Ga.) and Molly Bliss (Milford, Del.) rounded-out the race for Upstate. Boyd recorded a time of 20:38.50, while Bliss crossed the line in 20:43.50.

Upstate returns to action Nov. 9, traveling to Charlotte, N.C., for the NCAA Southeast Regionals. Follow the Spartans this season on your mobile device, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.