FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Monday, November 15, 2010

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

Cross Country Tigers Compete in JUCO Nationals

The South Georgia College cross country Tigers placed 35th (women) and 36th (men) at the Junior College Nationals in Spartanburg, S.C., on Saturday, Nov. 13. After finishing second (women) and third (men) in the conference two weeks ago, it was time for the Tigers to test their mettle against the best teams in the country. “We are a very young team, in just our first year with both a men’s and women’s team. We have done very well against the other teams that are in our conference. I felt like our runners were ready to see how they did against the best in the nation,” said head coach Robert Preston Jr.

The SGC runners performed well at Nationals, with five Tigers setting personal bests and one, Minerva Arreguin, tying the school women’s 5K record at the meet. The course took place over a fairly flat and fast course. The route was 100 percent unpaved and was a good equalizer, making it a fair test for teams who are from the flatlands and from hilly areas. With nearly 300 participants, it was by far the largest meet in which the Tigers had competed all year.

The women’s race began at 10 a.m. For the first time all year, Minerva Arreguin finished at the front of the SGC pack. She ran a 21:53, tying the school record set by Jennifer Cumbus at the conference finals on Oct. 30 in Albany. Cumbus, who was with Arreguin for most of the race, didn’t have her usual finishing kick and fell back to 22:03 — still the second-best time for an SGC runner. Courtlyn Fussell was next with a 24:15, followed by Sunshine Carter (24:27) and Shukia Jones (30:58).

In the men’s race, which started an hour later, Sam Caldwell missed a personal best by just three seconds, coming in at 28:00. Brandon Lundin, the Tigers’ only sophomore, PR’d with a 29:18. Mark McLeod (30:12), Ashe Kelly (30:24), Daniel Chavez (30:33), Josh Holcombe (30:43) and John Adams (33:28) were next. Kelly and Chavez also set PRs in the race.

“All in all, we had a very good race. Now everyone knows what it takes to compete at the national level. With everyone returning except for Brandon, this race will serve as motivation for all the freshmen to train even harder in the off-season. They have the chance to make some significant gains over the next 10 months. When next August rolls around, we should be in very good shape — both literally and figuratively,” said Coach Preston.

The 2010 re-wrote the SGC cross country record book. Listed below are the top 10 men’s and women’s times in the short history of the SGC program:

SGC Top 10 Men:

1. Sam Caldwell – 27:57, Conference finals, 10/30/10

2. Sam Caldwell – 28:00, Nationals, 11/13/10

3. Brandon Lundin – 29:18, Nationals, 11/13/10

4. Mark McLeod – 29:23, Conference finals, 10/30/10

5. Brandon Lundin – 29:44, Conference finals, 10/30/10

6. Sam Caldwell – 29:47, Skiles Farm, 9/25/2010

7. Brandon Lundin – 30:05, FSU Invitational, 10/9/10 (unattached)

8. Mark McLeod – 30:12, Nationals, 11/13/10

9. Josh Holcombe – 30:24, Conference finals, 10/30/10

10. Ashe Kelly – 30:24, Nationals, 11/13/10

SGC Top 10 Women:

1. Minerva Arreguin – 21:53, Nationals, 11/13/10

2. Jennifer Cumbus – 21:53, Conference finals, 10/30/10

3. Jennifer Cumbus – 22:03, Nationals, 11/13/10

4. Minerva Arreguin – 22:16, Conference finals, 10/30/10

5. Jennifer Cumbus – 22:23, Oglethorpe Invitational, 10/16/10

6. Jennifer Cumbus -- 22:38, Darton Invitational, 8/28/2010

7. Minerva Arreguin – 22:41, Oglethorpe Invitational, 10/16/10

8. Jennifer Cumbus – 22:58, GSW Remembrance Run, 9/11/2010

9. Jennifer Cumbus – 23:09, Skiles Farm, 9/25/2010

10. Minerva Arreguin – 23:16, Skiles Farm, 9/25/2010

# # # # 

About South Georgia College

South Georgia College (www.sgc.edu) was founded in 1906 and is an accredited two-year institution in the University System of Georgia. 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.