Post-Race Interview // Final Results
MOUNT BERRY, Ga. -- Piecing together a race for the ages, junior
Grayson Reid captured the individual championship and guided the 28th-ranked Christopher Newport men's cross country squad to the team title during the NCAA South / Southeast Regional Championships, which also included a solid third-place effort by the women's team at the competition held at Berry College's Clara Bowl on Saturday afternoon.
During the meet, Reid and the men's team punched their ticket to the NCAA Championships for the second straight year. It marks the first time in program history that Christopher Newport has earned two consecutive bids to the national meet. They will test themselves against the best in the nation next Saturday in Louisville, Kentucky.
Guided by Reid's individual title, CNU won the men's team championship with a score of 52. That effort topped a pair of other nationally-ranked squads, as No. 33 Washington & Lee finished second with 58 points, while No. 26 Emory placed third with 103.
Meanwhile, on the women's side, the Captains just missed out on their second trip to nationals in three years. No. 18 Emory won the South / Southeast crown with 68 points, while Rhodes also earned a spot at the NCAA meet with a second-place showing after finishing with 103. Christopher Newport followed close behind in third with 117.
On an individual level, Reid was one of 10 CNU runners to earn All-Region plaudits on Saturday following his historic run. Continuing a spectacular season, he won the Regional championship in the 8k with a time of 25:02.9, which was over 13 seconds faster than the next closest competitor. Previously, the Glen Allen native won the Capital Athletic Conference championship, was honored as the league's Athlete of the Year, and established a new program record in the 8k with a mark of 24:43 earlier this season.
Equally important to the squad's team title on Saturday,
JJ LaPointe came in fourth in 25:30.9, while three other Captains nabbed top-20 efforts.
Jeff Dover placed 13th (25:59.7),
Andrew Benfer was 15th (26:05.0), and
Daniel Read was 19th (26:16.6).
Rounding out the men's All-Region honorees,
Sam Murch crossed the line in 33rd with a 26:40.8 clocking. Headlining the squad's youth movement, freshman
Zachary Witt also placed 43rd in 27:06.9.
On the women's side, Christopher Newport was led by freshman sensation
Jessica Lee, who came in 12th with a 23:08.0 mark during the 6k. Following close behind, the Captains placed three seniors in the top-30.
Logan Harrington led the upperclassmen with a 20th-place effort (23:25.4), while
Briana Stewart was 21st (23:30.0) and
Emmie Schmitt was 26th (23:36.8).
Following the team's four All-Region performers, CNU put three other runners in the top-50 at the championship meet.
Monica Lannen came in 43rd with a time of 23:57.0,
Abigail May clocked in at 24:15.5, which placed her 49th, and
Gena Lewis crossed in 50th with a 24:15.7 mark.
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