by Benny Benton
CONCORD, N.C.–The Barton College women's cross country team claimed first place in its second straight meet Friday, taking top honors in the Conference Carolinas Preview race at Frank Liske Park.
All five scoring runners for the Lady Bulldogs placed among the top 13 finishers in a field of 35 runners, and Barton had a total of eight runners in the top 16. The Lady Bulldogs scored 31 points, well ahead of second-place North Greenville University, who had 46. Erskine College placed third with 66 points, and Belmont Abbey College trailed far behind with 113.
Junior Angelica Del Real was runner-up in the event, her third straight top-three finish. She posted a time of 15:55 on a 4K course. The teams will run the same course, lengthened to 5K, on Oct. 25 in the Conference Carolinas Championship.
Ericka Skinner finished right behind Del Real in third with a time of 16:19, and Teal McLean placed fifth with a time of 16:42 while competing in her hometown of Concord, N.C. Skinner has finished in the top five in both of her starts this year, while McLean has top-six finishes in all three events, including a runner-up finish to Del Real in Barton's own Bulldog Invitational.
Cimone Barbour turned in her top finish of the year on Friday, placing eighth with a time of 17:01, and Lauren Andreola rounded out the scoring runners with a 13th-place finish after a run of 17:27.
Directly behind Andreola were three more Barton runners in positions 14 through 16 – Andrea Roca (17:34), Heather Cuddington (17:38) and Lauren Yoho (17:38). Roca, one of five runners who competed in last year's race on the same course, shaved 16 seconds off of her 2012 time. The finish for both Roca and Yoho was their highest of the year.
Also competing in the event for the Lady Bulldogs were Tikycia Young (24th, 18:53) and Angel Pearsall (31st, 20:19).
As a team, Barton now has a second-place finish and two titles in three fall events. The Lady Bulldogs will seek a third straight win next Friday when they return to the Charlotte area to run in the Royals Cross Country Invitational, hosted by Queens University of Charlotte. The event will be held at McAlpine Creek Park, which will also serve as the site for the NCAA Division II Southeast Regional on Nov. 9.
Conference Carolinas Preview (Women's 4K)
31 – Barton (1st/4)
15:55 – Angelica Del Real (2nd/35)
16:19 – Ericka Skinner (3rd)
16:42 – Teal McLean (5th)
17:01 – Cimone Barbour (8th)
17:27 – Lauren Andreola (13th)
17:34 – Andrea Roca (14th)
17:38 – Heather Cuddington (15th)
17:38 – Lauren Yoho (16th)
18:53 – Tikycia Young (24th)
20:19 – Angel Pearsall (31st)
