FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Monday, October 8, 2012

Contact:  Robert Preston, Jr.,
              912.260.4276
              robert.preston@sgsc.edu

Led by Harrison and Evans, SGC Cross Country Runs Strong at Point University Invitational

Charley Harrison, a sophomore from Wayne County, continued her assault on the South Georgia College women’s cross country record book Friday afternoon at Point University by turning in a time of 21:35, the second-fastest time in the history of SGC’s women’s cross country team. Timmy Evans, a freshman from Valdosta High School, was the SGC men’s top finisher with a 29:41, his second-straight sub-30:00 performance. The women’s team finished ninth while the men came in seventh.

The meet actually took place in Alabama, which is the first time the Tigers have raced in that particular state, about three miles from Point’s campus in West Point, Ga. The Tigers have competed on some absolutely brutal courses this year, and the Point meet was another one of those monsters. It was a hilly course that was largely exposed to the sun, and its difficulty was compounded by temperatures in excess of 85 degrees at the race start.

The men fared very well, finishing seventh out of 11 teams. Only 11 points separated SGC from fourth place Reinhardt, so the teams were evenly matched. Considering fourth through sixth were four-year schools led by juniors and seniors, SGC’s freshman-laden team had a great race. The magic number on the day was second, which is how SGC finished among the four Georgia Collegiate Athletic Association (GCAA) schools that were in attendance. The Tigers’ goal is to finish in the top two in the GCAA; doing so will earn them a trip to the national meet in Rend Lake, Ill., on Nov. 10. “We still have two meets left and a lot can happen in three weeks, but right now, we are doing really well. We just have to stay on task, remain healthy and sharpen our form just a little more. If we do that, we have a great chance to secure that coveted #2 spot,” says Robert Preston Jr., SGC’s cross country coach.

The Tiger finishers were as follows: Timmy Evans (22nd, 29:41), Lyndon Jones (28th, 30:12), Wesley Worthy (29th, 30:14), Richard Smith (32nd, 30:45), Juan Castanon (42nd, 31:41), Pedro Martinez (57th, 33:15) and Jose Castanon (58th, 33:17).

The Lady Tigers turned in one of their fastest team times ever but didn’t fare as well as the men on the hilly course. “Several of our girls are improving each week, and with the two remaining meets being very flat and fast, I believe we will see some strong improvements over these last few weeks,” says Coach Preston. Once again, Charley Harrison showed she is one of the conference’s best runners. Her time of 21:35 was 12th overall out of 76 runners. Other SGC finishers included Christine Johnston (44th, 24:28), Tori Irvin (53rd, 25:39), Samantha Arroyo (55th, 25:50), Tia Ponsell (56th, 25:53), Brooke Logue (57th, 26:03) and Elizabeth Wilder (66th, 27:59). The ladies finished ninth overall but third among GCAA schools, only 16 points behind North Georgia Tech. This sets up a showdown between the SGC girls and those from North Georgia Tech. “If we can get another strong performance out of Charley and a few of the other girls can cut some time off their splits, we can finish second at the conference finals. It’s going to be close but this group has the talent to get it done. The women’s race is going to come down to the wire,” says Preston.

Next up for SGC is a home meet on Friday, Oct. 12 beginning at 5 p.m. at the community golf course on campus. Along with the Tigers, North Georgia Technical College and Tennessee Temple University will be in attendance. The men’s race begins at 5 p.m. The women will start about 10 minutes after the last men’s finisher. The public is invited to attend.

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About South Georgia College

South Georgia College (www.sgc.edu) was founded in 1906 and is located in Douglas, Ga. The college's environment gives students exceptional opportunities for interdisciplinary study and close collaboration with faculty. With over 20 majors and transfer opportunities, South Georgia College provides the finest education possible to the citizens of its service area.