October 22, 2021

Eagles eye championship gold at 2021 SAC Cross Country Championships

CHARLOTTE, N.C. - For the first time in two years, the Carson-Newman cross country team will compete for a conference championship on Saturday, Oct. 23 at the 2021 SAC Cross Country Championships.

Both teams will compete at McAlpine Park in Charlotte, N.C. The men will begin the day with the 8K run at 9:00 A.M., while the women will compete in the 6K run at 10:30 A.M. There will be a brief awards ceremony for both the men and the women at the conclusion of the 6K run. Fans who wish to attend the race will be able to free of charge.

This is the Eagles' third race of the year at McAlpine Park. Carson-Newman previously competed at the Queen City Invite and the Royals Challenge during the regular season.

"The goal is going to be able to take the lessons we learned from the first two races and apply them" says cross country coach Mike Spooner. "The reason we ran here earlier was to learn how to get the best results. On the men's side we are making a point to be more aggressive early in the race and allow our instincts to kick in. The guys have come together and believed in that strategy."

Carson-Newman last competed on Oct. 8 at the Royals Challenge. The women's team finished 20th while the men's team finished 31st. Rachel Strayer led the women's team with a 33rd place finish and a time of 18:15.1 in the 5K. Raymond Brugmans led the men's team with a 196th place finish and a time of 26:42.3.

"The limited amount of time to prepare for the season and changing our culture meant it took us awhile to adapt this regular season," says Spooner. "The last few weeks however, we've been able to move forward and we've had meetings about how they've improved. For the first time this year they're feeling confident and strong while preparing for a race. It's big to see the team do this after a short preparation time."

This is the first 6K run for the women since the 2019 NCAA DII Southeast Regional Championships. The Eagles finished 17th at the event with a total time of 2:16:37.20. Strayer finished sixth in the race with a time of 22:20.6 to qualify for the 2019 NCAA DII National Championships.

Of teams that have competed in a 6K race in the SAC this season, Wingate holds the fastest team time. The Bulldogs finished first at the DII Pre-National Invite on Oct. 2 with a time of 1:50:19. Carson-Newman, Newberry and Queens have yet to compete in a 6K race this year. Mars Hill and Coker both competed in one 6K race but failed to record a team time.

Strayer holds the 12th fastest time in the SAC in the 5K this season at 18:15.1. Of the competitors in the SAC that have run a 6K, just Finja Schierl of Wingate holds a faster personal best time in the event than Strayer. Schierl ran the 6K in a time of 21:22.0 earlier this year, a new school record for the Bulldogs. Schierl has also run the fastest time in the event this season out of anyone in the conference.

Strayer was the last Carson-Newman women's cross country runner to participate in a 6K at the 2019 NCAA Division II National Championships in Sacramento, Calif. Strayer set a new school record in the 6K, finishing 101st out of 261 participants with a time of 21:39.6.

The women's team finished in seventh place at the 2019 SAC Cross Country Championships. Strayer was named First-Team All-Conference after finishing fifth at the event with a time of 22:50.0 in the 6K.

"The women have a chance to have four runners finish all-conference, which is exciting," says Spooner. "For our five, six and seven, they need to be ready for the crowds and how to finish well at that no. five position to give us the best chance to succeed. We're setting up for a great finish and see what we can do."

On the men's side, Carson-Newman holds the eighth fastest time in an 8K race this season in the SAC. The Eagles finished 22nd at the Queen City Invite on Sept. 24 with a time of 2:16:11. Wingate holds the fastest time in the SAC in the men's 6K this season, recording a team time of 2:01.04 on Oct. 8 at the Royals Challenge at McAlpine Park.

The men's team finished in eighth place at the 2019 SAC Cross Country Championships. Conal McCambridge finished 16th overall with a time of 26:46.5 in the 8K to earn Third-Team All-Conference honors.

Brugmans holds the fastest time in the 8K this season for the Eagles, finishing the Queen City Invite on Sept. 24 with a time of 25:54.00, his first career 8K race in the United States. Matthew Fowler of Catawba enters championship weekend with the fastest time in the 8K in the SAC. Fowler recorded a time of 23:36.9 at the Royals Challenge on Oct. 8. in the event.

"This will be just our second time this season racing with a full roster because of various challenges," says Spooner. "The last time we had a full roster was at the Asics Invite where we performed well. Racing against multiple SAC schools this season helps us see who we need to race with and while we understand the expectations, we need to be different and beat those."

Live results and live video for both races and the awards ceremonies will be available at thesac.com. Fans can also lock-in on the new home of Carson-Newman athletics on Twitter @cn_eagles to follow along with live updates.