Upstate Men, Women Finish 12th at Blue Ridge Open
10/18/2013 12:00:00 AM | Cross Country
Men's Gold 5K Results
Women's Gold 5K Results
Women's Open 5K Results
Boone, N.C. – The USC Upstate men's and women's cross country teams posted identical 12th place finishes at the Blue Ridge Open Gold races Friday afternoon at ASU State Farm Fields.
The Spartans turned in solid performances on both sides as they prepare for the A-Sun Championships in two weeks. The women's side saw seven runners record season-best finishes while the men had six.
"I am proud of both the men and women," said associate head coach Carson Blackwelder. "They did a great job of mixing it up and getting after it. Both races went out fast and tested the runners in the later stages of the race."
The Upstate men, running an 8K race, saw Ross Oden, Andrew Kipchumba, Theodore Kountourogiannis, Riley Doherty, Cody Ellison and Cameron Fowler claim season-best performances. Oden led all Spartan men with a 33rd place finish and a time of 25:29.27. Kipchumba finished in 64th place with a time of 25:56.82, and Kountourogiannis followed in 66th place and a time of 25:57.09. Doherty turned in the squad's fourth-best time at 26:33.23. Alex Love posted a time of 26:56.68 and Ellison contributed a time of 27:43.95. Fowler (28:15.65), Matt Johnson (29:48.34) and Brad Walbert (30:57.29) rounded out the individual performers for Upstate.
The Spartan women, who ran a 5K, saw season-best performances logged by Jasmine Polite, Hannah Chaney, Erin Gethin, Ashleigh Torres, Essence Jackson, Sarah Boyd and Rebecca Elliott. Polite had the best finish in the women's gold race as she placed 26th with a time of 18:59.55. Chaney claimed 70th place and a time of 19:39.65 and Gethin was 82nd after posting a time of 19:47.72. Anastasia Kolesnitchenko (19:59.64) was fourth among Upstate runners with Molly Bliss fifth (20:23.46). Torres had a time of 20:36.27, and was followed by Janay Chisolm (20:51.23), Danielle Horneff (21:32.34) and Sarah Hetzel (22:10.65).
Jackson, Boyd and Elliott each ran in the Women's Open 5K, which took place after the completion of the Women's Gold 5K. Jackson had the best finish of any runner on the afternoon with an 11th place performance and time of 21:05.49. Boyd finished in 16th place with a time of 21:42.13, and Elliott earned a 19th place finish with a time of 22:49.04.
Host school Appalachian State won the Men's Gold 8K while Furman finished first in the Women's Gold 5K. Sandy Roberts, running unattached, captured the men's individual title in the gold race and Furman's Allie Buchalaski won the women's gold race. In the men's and women's open races, Adam Merook and Appalchian State's Sarah Moser were victorious.
The Spartans return to the course Saturday, Nov. 2 for the A-Sun Championships. The event will be held in Nashville, Tenn. and begin at 10 a.m.
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