MOUNT OLIVE, N.C. – The Barton men's and women's cross country teams finished ninth and 11th overall at the 2019 Conference Carolinas Championships, respectively, which took place Saturday morning on the campus of the University of Mount Olive.
On the men's side, Mount Olive won its eighth straight league title with a perfect score of 15 points. The Trojans had the top six runners in the race including the runner of the year in Tai Smith (Glendale, Ariz.). Smith ran the 8K course in 25:42. Mount Olive is ranked No. 14 in the nation and first in the Southeast Region according to the USTFCCCA.
The Bulldogs were led by sophomore Deshawn Owens (Pikeville, N.C.), who placed 20th overall with a time of 27:57. Meanwhile, sophomore Nicholas Leek (Manahawkin, N.J.) finished in 28:17 for the Bulldogs, good for 29th place.
In the women's competition, King (Tenn.) took home team honors for the first time since 2014, finishing six points better than Erskine. Mount Olive's Leah Hanle (Lichtenstein, GERMANY) won the conference championship for the third time in her career, running the 6K course in 21:23.
Barton was paced by sophomore Morgan Lane (Elm City, N.C.). Lane took 23rd in the race and crossed the finish line in 25:46 while freshman Isabel Reed (Wilson, N.C.) finished 29th with a time of 28:17.
The NCAA Division II Southeast Regional Cross Country Championships will take place on Saturday, November 9, in Wingate, N.C., on the campus of Wingate University.
Final Results
2019 Conference Carolinas Cross Country Championships
Saturday, October 26
Mount Olive, N.C. – The University of Mount Olive
MEN
1. Mount Olive 15
2. Emmanuel (Ga.) 70
3. Lees-McRae 97
4. North Greenville 140
5. King 150
6. Erskine 152
7. Belmont Abbey 198
8. Limestone 200
9. Barton 214
10. Southern Wesleyan 235
11. Chowan 334
Barton's Individuals
20. Deshawn Owens 27:57
29. Nicholas Leek 28:17
40. Xavier McLamb 28:48
66. Bobby Mills 30:39
79. Ramon Carter 38:29
WOMEN
1. King 64
2. Erskine 70
3. Southern Wesleyan 97
4. Mount Olive 102
5. North Greenville 106
6. Belmont Abbey 142
7. Emmanuel (Ga.) 205
8. Lees-McRae 210
9. Converse 217
10. Limestone 247
11. Barton 265
12. Chowan 342
Barton's Individuals
23. Morgan Lane 25:46
27. Isabel Reed 25:55
80. Telina Bunch 31:44
89. Kaleigh Dalton 34:31
94. Taylynn Blunt 37:21
2019 All-Conference Carolinas Men's Cross Country Teams
FIRST TEAM
Tai Smith, Mount Olive
Jacob Gonzalez, Mount Olive
Branson Oduor, Mount Olive
Jacob Willis, Mount Olive
Jay Hall, Mount Olive
SECOND TEAM
Daniel Francken, Mount Olive
Shane Shelafoe, Emmanuel
Tristin Bertie, Lees-McRae
Joshua Hall, Lees-McRae
Mugisha Bienvenu, Emmanuel
THIRD TEAM
Altan Cornu, Mount Olive
Miguel Lopez, Emmanuel
Victor Shellhammer, North Greenville
Kyle Hart, King
Jacob Holcombe, North Greenville
Team Champion: Mount Olive
Runner of the Year: Tai Smith, Mount Olive
Freshman of the Year: Shane Shelafoe, Emmanuel
Coach of the Year: Jackie Kirby, Mount Olive
Elite 23 Award: Ethan Hargrove, Emmanuel
FIRST TEAM
Leah Hanle, Mount Olive
Kirstin Barton, King
Amber Owens, Mount Olive
Lizzie Naval, Erskine
Maggie Rice, Southern Wesleyan
SECOND TEAM
Hope Whisman, North Greenville
Alexa Quarles, Emmanuel
Madison Lewellen, Southern Wesleyan
Kaitlin Rivera, King
Lena Kaster, Mount Olive
THIRD TEAM
Marie Berghaus, Erskine
Deanna Betzer, Lees-McRae
Rachel Lang, Belmont Abbey
Katy Neubert, King
Brittany Smith, Erskine
Team Champion: King
Runner of the Year: Leah Hanle, Mount Olive
Freshman of the Year: Lizzie Naval, Erskine
Coach of the Year: Nathan Meeuwenberg, King
Elite 23 Award: Jadyn Slaughter, North Greenville
