Friday, November 10
Gainesville, Fla.
8:30 a.m.
Mercer University
vs
NCAA South Region Championships
Cross Country Caps Off Record Season at NCAA South Regional
11/10/2023 4:00:00 PM | Men's Cross Country, Women's Cross Country, Athletics Department
GAINESVILLE, Fla. - The Mercer cross country teams competed at the NCAA DI South Region Championships on Friday at Mark Bostick Golf Course in Gainesville, Fla. The women's team finished 21st, led by Kamila Soja who crossed in 19th place on the way to earning NCAA All-Region honors. The men placed 19th with Yianni Pothalakis and Buck Ledford registering two of the fastest 10K times in program history.
Kamila Soja continued her trend of overtaking every top spot in the Mercer cross country record books. Her 19th place finish (19:08.7) is the highest of any individual runner for Mercer and makes her the first runner in Mercer history to earn NCAA All-Region honors.
"Kamila has had a very impressive season of consistent improvement," said head coach Josh Hayman. "Earning an All-Region spot in one of the toughest regions in the country is a testament to her hard work and sacrifice she has made this year."
Patricjya Miazek was the next runner to cross the line for the Bears, finishing in 21:07.9. Senior Bri Teegarden finished 141st running 21:27.5 in her last collegiate cross country race. Annette Rodriguez placed 152nd in 21:39.1, and Olivia Jones finished 173rd with a time of 22:14.4. Iris Porter was the Bears' "Sixth Man," finishing 198th in 23:14.5.
The women's 21st place finish is the highest the team has ever placed at the NCAA South Regional meet.
The top two finishers for the men - Pothalakis and Ledford - capped off their sophomore campaigns by inserting themselves among the top-5 fastest runners in program history.
"They have come really far this season to be leaders for our team," Hayman said. "They are the example of how great you can be early into your career here."
Pothalakis led the men's quad in the 10k race, running 31:06.4 to place 71st. Ledford registered a time of 31:53.3 to place 99th. Pothalakis dropped a whopping 1:47 off of his previous best 10k time, and Ledford trimmed more than 90 seconds off of his previous personal best. Reece Cato crossed the line 10 places after Ledford in 32:17.1. Chinmay Dongari also ran a personal record of 32:57.3, placing 127th. Freshman Nick Frye was the fifth scoring runner, placing 128th in 32:58.2. Henning Kunze was not far behind, crossing the line in 33:07.1 for 136th place. Jonathan Greene finished in 34:10.3 and154th place.
"(The progress of this year's team) is more than I could have hoped for," Hayman said. "We know there's much more in the tank for track season and next year. Hard work pays off, and we're just getting started!"
Kamila Soja continued her trend of overtaking every top spot in the Mercer cross country record books. Her 19th place finish (19:08.7) is the highest of any individual runner for Mercer and makes her the first runner in Mercer history to earn NCAA All-Region honors.
"Kamila has had a very impressive season of consistent improvement," said head coach Josh Hayman. "Earning an All-Region spot in one of the toughest regions in the country is a testament to her hard work and sacrifice she has made this year."
Patricjya Miazek was the next runner to cross the line for the Bears, finishing in 21:07.9. Senior Bri Teegarden finished 141st running 21:27.5 in her last collegiate cross country race. Annette Rodriguez placed 152nd in 21:39.1, and Olivia Jones finished 173rd with a time of 22:14.4. Iris Porter was the Bears' "Sixth Man," finishing 198th in 23:14.5.
The women's 21st place finish is the highest the team has ever placed at the NCAA South Regional meet.
The top two finishers for the men - Pothalakis and Ledford - capped off their sophomore campaigns by inserting themselves among the top-5 fastest runners in program history.
"They have come really far this season to be leaders for our team," Hayman said. "They are the example of how great you can be early into your career here."
Pothalakis led the men's quad in the 10k race, running 31:06.4 to place 71st. Ledford registered a time of 31:53.3 to place 99th. Pothalakis dropped a whopping 1:47 off of his previous best 10k time, and Ledford trimmed more than 90 seconds off of his previous personal best. Reece Cato crossed the line 10 places after Ledford in 32:17.1. Chinmay Dongari also ran a personal record of 32:57.3, placing 127th. Freshman Nick Frye was the fifth scoring runner, placing 128th in 32:58.2. Henning Kunze was not far behind, crossing the line in 33:07.1 for 136th place. Jonathan Greene finished in 34:10.3 and154th place.
"(The progress of this year's team) is more than I could have hoped for," Hayman said. "We know there's much more in the tank for track season and next year. Hard work pays off, and we're just getting started!"
| NCAA DI South Region Championships (NOVEMBER 10) | |||
| WOMEN'S ~6K | MEN'S 10K | ||
| Winner: Parker Valby (Florida, 17:59.6) | Winner: Hillary Cheruiyot (Alabama, 28:26.8) | ||
| 19 | Kamila Soja, 19:08.7 | 71 | ! Yianni Pothalakis, 31:06.4 |
| 119 | Patrycja Miazek, 21:07.9 | 99 | ! Buck Ledford, 31:53.3 |
| 141 | Bri Teegarden, 21:27.5 | 109 | Reece Cato, 32:17.1 |
| 152 | Annette Rodriguez-Olvera, 21:39.1 | 127 | ! Chinmay Dongari, 32:57.3 |
| 173 | Olivia Jones, 22:14.4 | 128 | ! Nick Frye, 32:58.2 |
| 198 | Iris Porter, 23:14.5 | 136 | Henning Kunze, 33:07.1 |
| 154 | Jonathan Greene, 34:10.3 | ||
| ! = Personal Best | |||
Players Mentioned
/ Men's Cross Country
/ Men's Cross Country
/ Men's Cross Country
/ Men's Cross Country
/ Women's Cross Country
/ Men's Cross Country
/ Men's Cross Country
/ Women's Cross Country
/ Women's Cross Country
/ Men's Cross Country
/ Women's Cross Country
/ Women's Cross Country
/ Women's Cross Country
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