Saturday, September 23, 2006

NGCSU MEN FINISH 12TH AND WOMEN FINISH 14TH AT THE GREAT AMERICAN FESTIVAL HOSTED BY NIKE

Birmingham, AL – Alan Schmitz continued to lead the Saints, and freshman Emmy Lawalin set the pace for the ladies the second time this season as both teams competed in an elite field at the Great American Cross Country Festival.

Schmitz crossed the line first for the Saints with a time of 30:19 that placed him in 43rd place overall. David Beall finished twelve spots behind Schmitz in 55th place with a time of 31:15, while Josh Kerzie rounded out the top three in 67th place in 31:50.

“Overall the course was very slow," assistant coach David Watkins said. "But our men stepped up and fought hard to perform well against top notch competition.”

Lawalin took first place on the team with a time of 22:07 that placed her 42nd overall. Liz Dunn finished right behind Lawalin in 55th place with a time of 22:21, and Bea Nelligan finished third for the Lady Saints and 80th overall in 23:16.

“Our women’s team is young, but continue to improve every week," Watkins said. "We are showing the potential to be a very competitive team. Both Lawalin and Dunn finished in the top third of the race which shows great capability for the two freshman.”

“It’s the middle of the season, and everyone is working hard and continuing to get better," Watkins said. "The course today was very demanding, it required everyone to put in a little more effort, but it will help the teams get stronger for the rest of the season.”

North Georgia will return to action at the Georgia Collegiate Championships on September 30, as they will compete against the tops teams in the state.

Complete Men's Results | Complete Women's Results

-NGCSU-

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