MOBILE, Ala. (10/31/20) – It was another historic day for Arkansas State cross country, as the women repeated as team champions, while Bennett Pascoe became the first overall men's champion in program history.
A-State became the first team to repeat as women's cross country champions since Western Kentucky won six straight from 2006-2011.
"I'm extremely proud of our women's team for repeating as conference champions and the hard work and determination from each one of them," A-State head coach Jim Patchell said. "Very often in sports, it's harder to repeat than to win the first one. On the men's side we were a little disappointed with the result but not disappointed with the effort. South Alabama did a great job."
To start the day, A-State's women recorded a program-record score of 44 points en route to repeating as conference champions. All seven Red Wolves notched personal-best times in the women's race, as all five scorers finished inside the top 20 while the top three placed inside the top 10.
Pauline Meyer was in the top two throughout, earning a runner-up finish for the second year in a row with a personal-best 17:17.4. Sophie Leathers placed fourth in 17:37.0 with Elizabeth Gillette in seventh with a 17:40.2 mark. Elizabeth Martin was the fourth runner to cross the finish in 18:12.1, while Sarah Trammel bested her previous best by nearly two minutes with a 17th-place finish of 18:26.2. Freshman Ellie Albrecht placed 18th with a time of 18:27.6 while McKenzie Cornell rounded out A-State's runners in 30th, clocking a time of 18:57.4.
Meyer and Leathers earned First Team All-SBC nods, with Gillette being named to the second team and Martin being tabbed a third-team honoree.
In the men's race, A-State began in fourth through the first 1000 meters before moving up to third, where it would finish. Bennett Pascoe led the Red Wolves throughout and was in 10th overall through 1K. At the 4K split, Pascoe had then inched closer to the lead pack, holding strong in third place just ahead of teammate Lexington Hilton. Once the runner crossed the 7K mark and headed down the final stretch, Pascoe pulled ahead of the leaders and used his closing speed to claim the first men's individual title in program history. He would also go on to be named the Sun Belt Men's Runner of the Year.
Behind Pascoe, Hilton placed fourth with a personal-best time of 24:45.8 to earn First Team All-Sun Belt honors while Coleman Wilson placed 15th by running a collegiate-best 25:44.8 and was tabbed Third Team All-SBC. Gregoire Saury was the fourth athlete to cross for A-State, finishing 17th in 25:51.8, while Seth Waters placed 19th in 25:58.2 to round out the Red Wolves' scorers. Owen Habeger placed 28th in 26:37.1 and John Carder ran 27:29.6 to place 40th.
For the latest on the A-State track and field program, follow @AStateTrack on Twitter and @Arkansas_State_Track on Instagram, while also liking the team's Facebook page at Facebook.com/AStateTrackAndField.
RESULTS
Men's Team Results (8K)
1. South Alabama – 39 points
2. Appalachian State – 55
3. Arkansas State – 56
4. UT Arlington – 78
5. Texas State – 133
6. Little Rock – 152
7. Louisiana – 181
8. Troy – 212
9. ULM – 247
Men's Individual Results
1. Bennett Pascoe, 24:27.2 (1 point); 4. Lexington Hilton, 24:45.8* (4 points); 15. Coleman Wilson, 25:44.8* (15 points); 17. Gregoire Saury, 25:51.8 (17 points); 19. Seth Waters, 25:58.2 (19 points); 28. Owen Habeger, 26:37.1; 40. John Carder, 27:29.6
Women's Team Results (5K)
1. Arkansas State – 44 points
2. Appalachian State – 47
3. South Alabama – 71
4. Troy – 77
5. UT Arlington – 158
6. Texas State – 182
7. Coastal Carolina – 197
8. Little Rock – 204
9. ULM – 239
10. Georgia Southern – 255
11. Louisiana – 271
Women's Individual Results
2. Pauline Meyer, 17:17.4 (2 points)*; 4. Sophie Leathers, 17:37.0* (4 points); 7. Elizabeth Gillette, 17:40.2* (7 points); 14. Elizabeth Martin, 18:12.1* (14 points); 17. Sarah Trammel, 18:26.2* (17 points); 18. Ellie Albrecht, 18:27.6*; 30. McKenzie Cornell, 18:57.4*
* - Personal-best
