Logan Patete Named Freshman of the Year; Jared Keklak Named Scholar-Athlete of the Year; Laura Yarborough Named to the All-Academic Team as Cross Country Wraps the 2021 Big South Championships

Friday, October 29

High Point, N.C.

4 p.m.

University of South Carolina Upstate Athletics

Big South Conference Championships

Big South Cross Country Championships 2021

Photo by: Big South Conference

10/29/2021 5:39:00 PM | Cross Country

KERNERSVILLE, N.C. – Opening the "postseason" portion of the team's schedule Friday afternoon, USC Upstate cross country wrapped the 2021 Big South Cross Country Championships with a pair of solid team finishes and two postseason award honorees.

Juniors Jared Keklak and Laura Yarborough claimed spots on the Big South's All-Academic teams for their efforts in the classroom and on the course as Keklak claimed his second consecutive Scholar-Athlete of the Year honor, becoming just the third men's runner to claim back-to-back Scholar-Athlete of the Year honors. Freshman Logan Patete following his 33rd-place finish in the men's race garnered Freshman of the Year honors--the first such honors for a Spartan since Upstate joined the Big South in 2018.

On the course, the Upstate men claimed a seventh-place finish while the women finished ninth as the Spartans claimed their fifth and fourth top-10 finishes, respectively, of the season.

In the men's race, senior Jonathan Johnson paced the Spartans with his fifth top-30 finish of the season, coming across with a 28^th-place with a time of 26:23.0. He was joined among the top Upstate runners by senior Jonathan Loy who finished 30^th (26:29.3) for his fourth top-30 placement of the year.

Men's Results (7^th of 12)
28. Jonathan Johnson – 26:23.0
30. Jonathan Loy – 26:29.3
33. Logan Patete – 26:37.0
46. Carter Sexton – 27:14.4
47. Jared Keklak -27:16.6
48. Michael Tardella – 27:19.7
51. Nigel Dos Santos – 27:32.6
53. Caleb Bayne – 27:39.6
56. Gabe Herron – 27:52.2
65. Derek Staton – 28:25.6

On the women's side, freshman Allison Baker topped the Spartan contingent for the first time in her career, placing 40^th with a time of 19:57.7 as she's finished among the top Upstate runners in all five events this season. Sophomore Elise Wilcher (20:57.0) and junior Alanie Foster (20:59.6) rounded out the top three finishers for the Spartans, finishing 53^rd and 54^th, respectively.

Women's Results (9^th of 12)
40. Allison Baker – 19:57.7
53. Elise Wilcher – 20:57.0
54. Alanie Foster – 20:59.6
61. Heaven Allen – 21:16.8
65. Brawnwyn Koellner – 21:21.9
66. Laura Yarborough – 21:23.7
70. Arianna Krcik – 21:42.4
X. Allie Leavitt – DNF

UP Next for the Spartans
Following a two-week layoff from competition, Upstate returns to the course for the final time, competing at the NCAA Southeast Regional on November 12. The event marks a return to E.P. Sawyer State Park for the Spartans after competing on the course at the Live in Lou Cross Country Classic earlier this season.

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