Wingate’s Jayce Watson Advances To Men’s Cross Country National Championship
WINGATE, N.C. -- Royals' junior Oscar Ogwaro led No. 7 nationally ranked Queens University of Charlotte to the team title at the 2008 NCAA Division II Southeast Regional hosted by Wingate University on Saturday morning at the Wingate Cross Country Course by winning the individual title.
Queens successfully defended its Southeast Region Championship title by placing its five scoring harriers in the top seven of the field. The Royals posted a nearly perfect score of 19 points.
Columbus State University, the 2008 Peach Belt Conference Champions, finished second with 87 points. The Royals and Cougars both qualify for the NCAA Division II Country National Championships hosted by Slippery Rock University on Saturday, November 22.
Wingate University's Jayce Watson and St. Andrews Presbyterian College's Mitch Cooper both qualified for the National Championships as individuals in their senior seasons by finishing fourth and fifth, respectively.
Ogwaro won the 10k race with a dominating time of 30:54. The Royals swept the top three spots with sophomore Michael Crouch taking second in 31:07 and junior Futsum Mebrahtu placing third at 32:05.
Watson spoiled the Royals attempt at a perfect score by claiming fourth place honors in front of his home crowd. Watson blazed the course in 32:13 to earn his third consecutive trip to Nationals. Cooper followed in fifth place finishing the endurance race in 32:27, earning his second straight bid to Nationals. Cooper, the 2008 Conference Carolinas Runner of the Year, will become the first runner in the conference to race in the D-II Nationals in all four years of his eligibility.
Clayton State University grabbed third place team honors with 107 points while a trio of teams battled out the next three spots finishing within five points of each other. South Atlantic Conference Champions Mars Hill led the way in fourth with 140 points followed by Lees-McRae College (143) and St. Andrews (145). Host Wingate was next in seventh place with 165 points. Erskine College (198), Georgia College & State University (259), and Lenoir-Rhyne University (305) rounded out the top-10 in the 20 team field.
Queens' junior Matthew Rowell (32:41) and senior Ryan Connelly (32:55) crossed the finish line in sixth and seventh place, respectively, to conclude the Royals impressive scoring. Columbus State junior David Marley (33:04) crossed the finish line in eighth; Tusculum College sophomore Simon Holzapfel (33:17) grabbed ninth; and Francis Marion University junior Hillary Kiprop (33:24) rounded out the top-10 in 10th place.
The top-15 individuals (out of the 140 harriers) earned All-Region honors. Three Clayton State runners earned All-Region accolades including Anthony Aquilar (33:25/11th) and sophomores Joey Chino (33:29/12th) and Walid Berkhedle (33:35/14th). Erskine junior Adam Groblewski (33:29/13th) and Columbus State's senior Roger Hagues (33:36/15th) also earned All-Region credit.
The men's 10k race at the NCAA Division II National Championships is scheduled to start at 12 Noon on Saturday, November 22 at the Cooper's Lake Campground in Slippery Rock, Pa.
Men's Team Results
1 Queens (N.C.), 19
2 Columbus St., 87
3 Clayton State, 107
4 Mars Hill, 140
5 Lees-McRae, 143
6 St. Andrews, 145
7 Wingate, 165
8 Erskine, 198
9 GC&SU, 259
10 Lenoir-Rhyne, 305
11 Lincoln Memorial, 318
12 North Georgia, 339
13 Carson-Newman, 351
14 Coker, 356
15 Francis Marion, 369
16 Anderson (S.C.), 381
17 UNC-Pembroke, 464
18 Pfeiffer, 468
19 Limestone, 495
20 Belmont Abbey, 522
All-Region Team
1. Oscar Ogwaro 30:54
2. Michael Crouch 31:07
3. Futsum Mebrahtu 32:05
4. Jayce Watson 32:13
5. Mitch Cooper 32:27
6. Matthew Rowell 32:41
7. Ryan Connelly 32:55
8. David Marley 33:04
9. Simon Holzapfel 33:17
10. Hillary Kiprop 33:24
11. Anthony Aguilar 33:25
12. Joey Chino 33:29
13. Adam Groblewski 33:29
14. Walid Berkhedle 33:35
15. Roger Hagues 33:36