by Kevin Buczek
GREENSBORO, N.C.-Barton College had four runners finish in the top-20 as the Bulldogs were runner-ups in the 2011 North Carolina Collegiate Cross Country Championships at the Meadows Course on the Guilford College campus Saturday morning.
Seniors Sammy Serem (Nindi Hills, Kenya) and Christopher Free (Virginia Beach, Va.) both place in the top-10 as Barton edged Shaw University for second place out of four teams with 53 points. Host Guilford College had the top two finishers to claim the team title with 25 points. Shaw had 64 points and fourth-place Methodist University totaled 95 points.
"The men had a solid performance," Barton head coach Karen Godlock said. "They are working hard and are steadily improving. I am proud of all their efforts."
Serem was third overall out of 41 harriers with an 8,000-meter time of 27:23. Serem was just 41 seconds behind the race winner. Free followed in eighth place, crossing the finish line in a time of 28:17.
The freshman duo of Austin Edmonds (Sandy Ridge, N.C.) and Daniel Strutton (Rocky Mount, N.C.) both finished in the upper half of the field. Edmonds cruised the endurance race in 29:09 for 13th place and Stutton set a new 8k PR time of 29:55 in 17th.
Junior Walter Ngeno (Kericho, Kenya) led a string of four Bulldogs across the finish line in 30:57.05, less than a second ahead of freshman Tyrone Flemings Jr. (Dale City, Va.) at 30:57.97. Sophomore Jonathan Stallings (Durham, N.C.) followed a couple seconds later at 31:00.59. Senior Phillip Averre (Wake Forest, N.C.) completed the Barton run at 31:25.47.
Barton will next compete in the 2011 Conference Carolinas Championships hosted by Queens University of Charlotte at McAlpine Creek Park on Friday, Oct. 21 at 5 p.m.
