Monday, October 18, 2004

SAINTS CROSS COUNTRY EARN TOP MARKS AT ERSKINE INVITATIONAL

Due West, S.C. - The North Georgia men's cross country team won third place overall and junior Irina Watkins (Varkaus, Finland) won first place in the women's individual race on Thursday at Erskine College in their final race before region.

The Saints men recorded their second straight top three finish in as many meets and narrowly missed second place by six points. Junior Kelly Parr (Maysville, Ga.) led the men with his best finish of the year. He placed fourth overall in the men's 8k in a time of 28:10, his best time of the year. Also having his best race this year was junior Matt Temples (Cumming, Ga.) who finished 13th overall in a time of 28:59. All of North Georgia's top five runners finished in the top 20 and under 30 minutes for the first time all season. Placing in 17th, 18th, and 19th place was junior Bryan Harris (Cleveland, Ga.), freshman Matthew Ueltzen (Blairsville, Ga.), and freshman Alan Schmitz (Warner Robins, Ga.) in times of 29:20, 29:24, and 29:34 respectively.

Matt Temples heads toward the finish

The Saints women's team looked sharp in their final performance before the Region XIII meet. For the second time this season, Watkins won the race for the women's team. She posted her second best time this season, winning the 5k race in 18:39. Following Watkins was junior Anna Roller (Commerce, Ga.) was 39th overall with a time of 22:56. Freshman Tara Alexander (Grayson, Ga.) had one of her best races of the year and finished in 50th place in a time of 23:46. Sophomore Trish Faulkner (Kennesaw Mountain, Ga.) finished in 87th place in a time of 28:23. Due to academic obligations the women's team was unable to field a fifth runner and was not able to score as a team.

Irina Watkins goes out into the lead at the start of the race

NCAA Division II member Wingate University won the men's and women's meet with Ethan Schaffner of Anderson College winning the men's race in a time of 27:18.

The Saints finish the regular season on an excellent note as they defeated each Southern States Athletic Conference school they faced in the last two meets. Up next for North Georgia is the NAIA Region XIII meet on November 6 in Clinton, Miss.

Erskine College Cross Country Invitational

NGCSU Women's Results – 5k
Place	Name	Time
1	Irina Watkins	18:39
39	Anna Roller	22:56
50	Tara Alexander	23:46
87	Trisha Faulkner	28:23
NGCSU Men's Results - 8k
Place	Name	Time
4	Kelly Parr	28:10
13	Matt Temples	28:59
17	Bryan Harris	29:20
18	Matthew Ueltzen	29:24
19	Alan Schmitz	29:34
34	Tommy Stapleton	31:15
37	Joseph Register	31:25
53	Mikhail Bondarew	33:09
60	Jason Geiger	34:22
61	Alan Pesti	34:22
64	Jordan Hembree	34:35

Images From the Erskine College Cross Country Invitational
Photos

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