West Alabama celebrates its first-ever GSC team championship.
West Alabama wins first GSC team championship
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HERE for the official times (PDF).
Danville, Ala. — The University of
West Alabama won its first-ever
Gulf South Conference Women’s Cross Country Championship at the Oakville Indian Mounds Cross Country Course in Danville, Alabama, on Saturday.
TOP PERFORMERS
West Alabama sophomore
Cecelia David won the 5K race with a season-best time of 17:58.18 to win
GSC Individual Medalist honors. David is the second UWA runner to ever win the GSC, following Polina Babkina in 2011. David was joined on the All-GSC First Team by sophomore
Karissa Solorzano, who placed ninth to earn her second-straight First Team honor. David overtook two-time champion
Vicky Winslow (
Alabama Huntsville), who won the 2012 and 2013 titles, in the final mile. Winslow, who missed the 2014 season, was named the GSC Runner of the Week three times this fall and nine times in her career. Her runner-up finish adds her name to the GSC’s list of three-time First Team All-GSC honorees.
Caitlyn Farrell of
West Georgia claimed
Freshman of the Year honors with a seventh-place finish. She is the third UWG runner to earn the honor since the award began in 2002.
QUOTABLE
"To have the Individual champion and the team champion is quite a feat," UWA head coach
Ray Stanfield said. “Cecelia ran just as we had it planned and was incredible over the last 800 meters.
"The team as a whole was fantastic today … They bought into the training and executed the race plan to a 'T'. Championships never get old, this one was special."
NOTABLE
Lee University finished runner-up in its first season to be eligible for a Gulf South Conference championship. Future GSC member
Mississippi College also competed in the meet, but was not eligible for GSC awards.
UP NEXT
Eligible teams will compete next on Nov. 7 in the NCAA South Regional, hosted by Saint Leo University and the Tampa Sports Commission at the Abbey Course in Saint Leo, Florida.
| 2015 GSC Women’s Cross Country Top 5 Teams |
| Place |
School |
Total Time |
Avg. Time |
Points |
| 1 |
West Alabama |
1:34:22.30 |
18:52.46 |
57 |
| 2 |
Lee |
1:35:04.57 |
19:00.92 |
65 |
| 3 |
Union |
1:35:48.75 |
19:09.75 |
70 |
| 4 |
Alabama Huntsville |
1:36:56.13 |
19:23.23 |
111 |
| 5 |
North Alabama |
1:39:48.89 |
19:57.78 |
167 |
| 2015 GSC Women’s Cross Country All-GSC First Team |
| Time |
Student-Athlete, School |
| 17:58.18 |
Cecelia David, West Alabama |
| 18:02.69 |
Vicky Winslow, Alabama Huntsville |
| 18:22.01 |
Leah Sikorski, Shorter |
| 18:34.10 |
Emily Buwalda, Shorter |
| 18:38.82 |
Audrey Smith, Lee |
| 18:40.59 |
Janey Berends, Union |
| 18:40.94 |
Caitlyn Farrell, West Georgia |
| 18:44.02 |
Tyra Holloway, Valdosta State |
| 18:45.17 |
Karissa Solorzano, West Alabama |
| 18:46.70 |
Jessica Childers, Lee |
| 2015 GSC Women’s Cross Country All-GSC Second Team |
| Time |
Student-Athlete, School |
| 18:55.24 |
Abigail Berends, Union |
| 18:56.27 |
Erin Fondren, Lee |
| 19:02.80 |
Catherine Gitahi, West Alabama |
| 19:08.05 |
Alondra Aguirre, West Alabama |
| 19:10.22 |
Amy Carpenter, Lee |
| 19:19.90 |
BethAnne Davis, Union |
| 19:22.55 |
Kailey Williams, Alabama Huntsville |
| 19:26.07 |
Sarah Fickley, Union |
| 19:26.95 |
Lindsey Jakeman, Union |
| 19:28.10 |
Caren Burtain, West Alabama |