FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Monday, October 15, 2012

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

Harrison Sets SGC 5K Record at Tiger Invitational, Men and Women Take First Place

Friday was a record-setting day for the South Georgia College cross country program. For the first time in the history of SGC cross country, both the men’s and women’s teams brought home first place trophies, taking first overall in the Tiger Invitational, held Friday afternoon on the community golf course at South Georgia College.

Charley Harrison (sophomore, Wayne County) continued to re-write the record books for the Lady Tigers. She won first overall with a 20:35 (at the time, the third-fastest time in the conference this year) and easily won the women’s race. In the process, she shattered the school record she tied just two weeks ago in Albany. For the men, Richard Smith (freshman, Colquitt County) won the meet by out-sprinting teammate Timmy Evans (freshman, Valdosta High School). Smith won with a 28:37 in the eight-kilometer race – the third-fastest time in SGC history. Evans’s 28:40 was the Tigers’ fifth-fastest men’s time.

The rest of the Lady Tigers finished as follows: Samantha Arroyo (23:10, 4th), Christine Johnston (23:17, 5th), Tia Ponsell (23:18, 6th), Tori Irvin (24:14, 8th), Brooke Logue (25:51, 10th) and Elizabeth Wilder (25:58, 11th). The rest of the men finished in the following order: Wesley Worthy (29:05, 4th overall), Lyndon Jones (29:44, 5th), Pedro Martinez (30:20, 6th), Juan Castanon (35:16, 10th) and Jose Castanon (38:48, 12th). The average time for the men’s team was 29:17 while the women’s average was 22:55. Both are school records.

“Throughout the season, we have raced on some brutal courses. Those difficult meets have added to our level of fitness. Now, late in the season, we are seeing the benefits of those challenging courses. Our race is flat and fast, and our runners were finally able to make a few withdrawals from their fitness reserves. In particular, our girls really stepped it up and made a huge statement. The men simply did what they’ve been doing all year. If there was a surprise, it was how fast Richard ran. He’s been solid all year, but after Friday, he showed he can run with the best the conference has to offer. The same goes for Timmy. These two runners ran very well,” says head coach Robert Preston Jr.

Preston continued: “What else can I say about Charley? She ran away with the women’s race – literally and figuratively – and won by 38 seconds. She now has four of the top 10 women’s times and she has the school record all her own. She has been absolutely brilliant this year.”

The Tigers have one more meet this season, the conference finals on Oct. 26 in Marietta. Should SGC finish in the top two in the conference, they will race again on Nov. 10 at the national championship meet in Rend Lake, Illinois.

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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.