DII Southeast Cross Country Regionals

Time: 43:47
Distance: 6.00 miles
Map

I scooped up Tanya this morning and we drove out to Wingate, NC where the DII regional meet was being held. The women would kick off the day at 9:30 which left Tanya and I just enough time to get in a run. We set out on the course and did the men's 10k loops. Our run gave us a chance to preview the best spectating locations along the course and it built excitement for the races. The race course wasn't too challenging with a few rollers on the back portion of the race, but nothing that would make or break a performance.

The women's race started and it was time to become spectator/cheerleader for the Royals who had never qualified a team to nationals. The squad is lead by Jessica Neville, Maraya Slatter, Holly Annas and a newcomer to the xc scene, Meagan Nedlo. Ms. Nedlo was running her first and potentially last collegiate cross country race if things didn't work out for nationals. Just after the mile mark Jessica was running in 5th, Maraya and Holly in a chase group around 9th-12th and Meagan was in the second chase group around 14th-17th. The all important fifth girl, Katie Snow, loomed around 50th.

I made a mad dash from the back section to just beyond 2.25 miles where a spectator could easily cheer for the runners three times. At this point Jessica remained in 5th, Maraya now in 7th, Holly in 9th, Meagan in 14th, Katie in 39th. With about a mile to go the team battle was shaping up, but not with the expected team. It always seems that when you are focused on one school's jersey, another team goes unnoticed and they are the squad that is going to make it close.

I stood at the final turn where there is about 180 meters to run. The girls continued to move up the final mile but it was going to come down to Katie. Maraya caught Jess at the line to take 5th and 6th. Meagan was battling for 8th but wound up 9th (remember that) and Holly struggled but finished 14th. Katie has now running in the mid-30s with a group in front, she finished 35th.

The boy's race was fun to watch but not nearly as exciting until the final stretch. Oscar battled a Kenyan from Columbus State to the tape. He was given the win, but the picture raises some questions. The fellas were favored to win and that's exactly what they did placing six runners in the top 15.

After the races, results were slow to emerge because the host school took it back to '99 with tag scoring. No chip timing for the DII ranks, too fancy. Too modern. Too much like DI. There was a promise that two cameras would serve as backup to the pull-tag system, but of course, neither camera was actually used. The Queens women placed second with 69 points while Columbus State took home first with 68 points. There was no way to actually check if the scores had been tallied correctly or if the tags had been pulled in the right order. Way to go DII! Despite the fact that Meagan had a Columbus State girl pass her at the tape, nobody decided to give her a hard time. She was, more or less, the reason why the team placed second with the 9th place finish.

I had planned on running in the afternoon, but opted not to because of the distance I covered during the races. In the women's 6k race I covered 2.01 miles and in the men's 10k I ran 2.31 miles.