by Kevin Buczek
CHARLOTTE, N.C.-Sophomore Ericka Skinner (Hopedale, Ohio) recorded a 5,000-meter personal record time of 18:04 to earn First Team All-Conference accolades as she led the Barton women's cross country team to a seventh place finish out of 11 league institutions on Friday afternoon.
The Bulldogs scored 188 points as Barton placed seventh in the conference for the second straight season under the leadership of second year head coach Karen Godlock.
No. 18 nationally ranked host Queens University of Charlotte were declared the team champions for the third consecutive year with 19 points. The Royals were paced by Kimone Hewitt, who was crowned Conference Carolinas Runner of the Year for the second straight season winning the race with a league record time of 17:41. Queens has the top three finishers ahead of Skinner.
No. 3 Southeast Region ranked Mount Olive clipped No. 2 ranked King College for second place. The Trojans had 69 points and the Tornado had 80. No. 10 Lees-McRae was fourth, Belmont Abbey took fifth and Pfeiffer University held off Barton for sixth.
Skinner improved by one spot from her fifth place finish last season with a new PR time of 18:04 around the McAlpine Creek Park 5k course. The two-time First Team All-Conference honoree and 2010 Freshman of the Year has six top-10 finishes this season.
Freshman Cimone Barbour (Dale City, Va.) was the only other Lady Bulldog to finish in the upper half of the 91-runner field with a 37th place result. Barbour blazed the 5k in a PR time of 20:20. Junior Alexa Tovella (Bartlett, Ill.) added a season-best time of 20:52 to capture a top-50 result in 49th.
A trio of freshman followed to complete Barton's scoring starting with Marisa Denton (Las Vegas, Nev.) with a PR speed of 21:26 for 54th overall. Lauren Anderola (Newport, N.C.) was the fifth Lady Bulldog across the finish line in 21:49 (58th). Andrea Roca (Jacksonville, N.C.) helped Barton with a PR time of 22:17 (65th).
Senior Ashley Freeman (Cary, N.C.) also had a season-best time of 22:35 (70th) as the Bulldogs seventh scoring harrier. Freshman Schylar Cook (Dornsife, Pa.) concluded Barton's competition at 29:05 (89th).
Barton will return to Charlotte and McAlpine Creek Park for the 2011 NCAA Division II Southeast Regional on Saturday, Nov. 5 with the extended women's 6k scheduled to start at 10 a.m. Skinner earned an individual invitation to the National Championship last year with a fifth place result at the 2010 Regional.
