Belmont, N.C. - The Lees-McRae women and the St. Andrews Presbyterian men claimed the 2008 Conference Carolinas Cross Country Championships this morning on the campus of Belmont Abbey College. The Lady Bobcats totaled 48 points, while the Knights narrowly edged the Lees-McRae men by a 43-48 count.
In the final women's team results, Converse finished second with 78 points, while Anderson was third with 94. Limestone (98), and St. Andrews (109) round out the top five, while Coker (130), Pfeiffer (194), Erskine (197), Barton (244), Mount Olive (242) and Belmont Abbey (293) round out the scoring.
In the women's five kilometer race, Anderson University freshman Whitney Bishoff claimed the individual title with a time of 18:55. That gives her a sweep of the individual awards, claiming MVP and Freshman of the Year, honors, as well as earning first-team all-conference honors. Alyson Trovatto (St. Andrews) finished second at 19:20, followed by Dana Lindholm of Lees-McRae (19:52), Courtney Rankin of Limestone (19:58) and Kendyl Seawright (20:01) of Coker. Those five all earned first-team honors. Lees-McRae head coach Craig McPhail claimed Coach of the Year honors.
On the men's side, the St. Andrews lineup placed first, third, fifth, 16th and 18th, as it edged out Lees-McRae, whose lineup finished fourth, sixth, ninth, tenth and 19th. Erskine finished third with 78 points and Anderson was fourth with 99. Coker rounded out the top five with 142 points. Limestone was sixth (168), while Belmont Abbey (194), Pfeiffer (202), Mount Olive (204) and Barton (252) rounded out the standings.
Mitch Cooper of St. Andrews claimed the individual title with a time of 26:51, while Adam Groblewski of Erskine was second with a time of 27:12. St. Andrews's Pedro Tapia claimed third with a time of 27:29, three seconds ahead of Chris Holstein of Lees-McRae. Doug Holt of St. Andrews rounded out the top five with a time of 27:33. Lees-McRae freshman Craig Simpkins finished sixth, and as the highest freshman to place, earned Conference Freshman of the Year and second-team all-conference honors. St. Andrews coach Jim Walters was named Coach of the Year.