FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Monday, November 21, 2011

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

SGC Cross Country Races National Half Marathon Championships

The South Georgia College cross country Tigers saved their longest race – and maybe their best – for the last meet of the season.

Saturday morning, the Tigers competed in the National Junior College Athletic Association Half Marathon National Championships on the Silver Comet Trail in Dallas, Georgia, in cold and windy conditions. None of the Tigers had ever raced the 13.1-mile distance before, and were doing so for the first time against the best cross country teams in the nation.

Racing a half marathon is much different than the Tigers’ usual 8K (men) and 5K (women) events. Longer races require patience, pacing and the mental toughness to withstand the discomfort and boredom that set in during those dreadful middle miles. “I wanted our runners to focus on the shorter distances this year, so we were admittedly a little under-trained for a half marathon. But because this would be everyone’s first time tackling a race of this distance, we had to be a little more careful and make sure our runners made it to the start line injury-free,” stated head coach Robert Preston Jr.

Five men and one Lady Tiger contested the race. As has been the case all year for the men’s team, Fitzgerald sophomore Mark McLeod finished first for the Tigers. He ran a 1:22:21, just a few seconds ahead of second-place finisher Juan Gibbs, a freshman from Lowndes High (1:22:45). Sophomore Josh Holcombe came in third with a 1:24:09, followed by Lyndon Jones (1:24:38) and Daniel Chavez (1:25:39). The men finished 15th in the team standings, and second among teams from their conference. For the first time in the history of the program, SGC’s men came in ahead of race host Chattahoochee Tech. “Even though this wasn’t our normal distance, our men saw that they can compete with the top teams in our conference. They worked extremely hard this year, and all the miles paid off with a strong showing at the half marathon,” said Coach Preston. “We have four sophomores coming back – two of whom ran in the half marathon. This should be a big confidence booster for the returning runners.”

Only one member of the Lady Tigers’ squad ran the half marathon. Sophomore Minerva Arreguin turned in a 1:38:38, good for 30th place overall. Most importantly, she was the first female from the conference to cross the finish line, coming in over three minutes ahead of her closest conference rival. “What can I say about Minerva that hasn’t already been said? She is one of the hardest working athletes at South Georgia College. She has five of the top 10 5K times in program history. She is an excellent student, a two-time All Conference selection and a fierce competitor. Even though she knew we wouldn’t get a team score, Minerva ran as hard as she could, and she defeated all of our conference rivals. It doesn’t seem to matter what the distance is – Minerva is a complete runner and excels in every race she runs,” said Coach Preston.

The Tigers finish the 2011 season on a high note. The SGC runners demonstrated that they are committed to being among the elite teams in the conference, and have a strong nucleus in place for the 2012 campaign. The Tigers are losing three women and four men, but the program is aggressively recruiting to fill those vacancies. “Our sophomores have built a solid foundation for the future of this program. I cannot say enough about this group of sophomores. We are a young program, but we have made tremendous progress in a short period of time. The future of South Georgia College cross country looks very bright, and it’s because of the influence of these sophomores. I will miss them greatly, but I know they will do well in whatever future endeavors they pursue,” said Coach Preston.

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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.