From Harding University
East Central won its first
Great American Conference women's cross country championship title as the Lady
Tigers edged out 2011 champion Harding Saturday at the Pontotoc Technology
Center.
Samantha Bartlett and Regina Germaine turned in top-three
finishes for the Lady Tigers, who won on their home course. Harding sophomore
Ewa Zaborowska dominated the race,
winning by more than a minute to claim both the individual title and the GAC
Runner of the Year honor. It was the second straight individual championship for
the Lady Bisons. Gladys Kimtai won last year's
race.
The tight
pack of Lady Tigers all finished inside the top 12 to best the Lady Bisons by
eight points. Winning head coach Steve Sawyer received the GAC coach of the year
award. Ten of the top 13 finishers came from either ECU or Harding. Harding's Kelsey Taylor, who finished
fourth, claimed the GAC freshman of the year award.
In behind the top two teams,
Southern Arkansas rode the top-10 finishes of Virginia Ney and Kelsey Grier to
edge out Southwestern Oklahoma State for third place by a single point. Ouachita
Baptist took fifth ahead of cross-street rival Henderson
State.
Arkansas
Tech finished seventh with Southeastern Oklahoma State and Arkansas-Monticello
rounding out the nine-team event.
The runners from Southern Nazarene
and Northwestern Oklahoma State competed in the meet, but ran as unattached
individuals. Megan Johnson, from Southern Nazarene placed sixth, and second
among freshman.
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