Cross-Country Teams Take Home Third at SoCon Championships

Saturday, October 27

Cullowhee, N.C.

Samford University

Southern Conference Championships

Cross-Country Teams Take Home Third at SoCon Championships

10.29.18 | Cross Country

CULLOWHEE, N.C. – The Samford men's and women's cross-country teams finished third each at the Southern Conference Championships in Cullowhee, North Carolina on the campus of Western Carolina University this past weekend.

The women's team finished with an average time of 18:56.89 giving them their third place finish behind Furman and Chattanooga. Shian Mallory finished sixth overall in the women's 5K run and with a time of 18:06.31. Kathryn Foreman finished 17^th with an 18:42.39 time. Freshman Mary Kellison Thorne was the next Bulldog across the line and finished at 19:12.22, good enough for 26^th place. Mary Grace Strozier finished 29^th at 19:15.97, and Carter Marchbanks finished with a time of 19:27.55 for 33^rd. Allie Nelson came in 36^th after finishing in 19:31.94. Veronica Lyle and Taryn Donahue came in 38^th and 52^nd with times of 19:35.29 and 20:05.64. Anna Huntington finished right behind at 53^rd and in 20:10.16.

The men's team third place finish came after posting an average time of 26:05.73 in their 8K run. Dillon Dean placed third individually and finished with a time of 25:06.71. Ben Bryant and Owen Bailey finished in 12^th and 13^th with times of 25:55.43 and 26:05.75. Brad Cheek, Ben Garner, and Paul Richardson all finished inside the top 30 male individual runners. Cheek finished 22^nd with a time of 26:31.12, Garner finished 25^th with a time of 26:49.64, and Richardson finished 28^th with a 27:02.10 time. Sam Katulich finished the Bulldogs' day at the championships by crossing the finish line at 28:15.95, good enough for 54^th among all male runners.

After the races, it was announced that Dillon Dean and Shian Mallory each made the Men's First Team All-SoCon Women's First Team All-SoCon for their performances throughout the season. Dean finished in the top ten individually in all races he competed in. Mallory had three top ten finishes, including two individual victories.

Ben Bryant and Owen Bailey were named to the Men's Second Team All-SoCon, while Carter Marchbanks and Mary Kellison Thorne were named to the Women's All-Freshman Team.
Both the men's and women's cross-country teams were picked to finish third in the Southern Conference preseason poll. The teams will compete in the Southern Conference Championships in Cullowhee, North Carolina on the campus of Western Carolina on October 27.

The Bulldogs were ranked in the South Region for the first time all season on Monday. The men's team was ranked 14^th and the women's team was ranked 15^th. Both teams will compete at the NCAA South Regionals in Tallahassee, Florida on Friday, November 9^th.