The High Point men and Coastal Carolina women captured the 2004 New Balance Big South Cross Country Championships. The Panthers won the men's title for the third-straight year, while the Lady Chanticleers took their fourth-straight Championship crown, which set a Conference record.
The Panther men won the event with 30 points, followed by Liberty (61), Coastal Carolina (74), Virginia Military Institute (106), UNC Asheville (107), Birmingham Southern (169), Winthrop (176), Radford (200) and Charleston Southern (293).
McDougal (Fr., Peru, N.Y.) has participated in and won six races so far this season. Terah Kipchiris of Coastal Carolina, the defending Conference Champion, took second (24:14), followed by four High Point runners, Derek Nakluski (25:07), David Freier (25:13), Bubba Hill (25:21) and Joel Primus (25:27). Liberty's Evan Falat (Jr., Stockton, Calif.) (25:37), UNC Asheville's Phil Latter (25:41) and Bulldog Dave Bell (25:43) round out the top-10. Those runners make up the Big South's men's All-Conference squad.
The Lady Chants posted 36 points in the women's event, while Liberty took second with 49 points. High Point place third (75), followed by UNC Asheville (82), Winthrop (167), Birmingham-Southern (173), Radford (174) and Charleston Southern (234).
High Point's Jemissa Hess, who took the women's Runner of the Year honor, used a late surge to over come defending champ Anne Marie Moutsinga (CCU) for the women's individual title with a time of 17:42. Moutsinga placed second with a time of 18:19. Coastal's Christina Mohr (18:22) finished third, followed by Liberty's Danielle Jordan (Fr., Medford, Ore.) (18:24), UNC Asheville's Devon Nemire-Pepe (18:25), Liberty's Samantha Pelletier (Sr., Wells, Maine) (18:27), Coastal's Kim Nermergut (18:29), Winthrop's Carrie Selmer (18:36), Lindsey Kozlowski (18:38) and Sarah Roberts (Zeiglerville, Pa.) (18:49). Those runners make up the Big South's women's All-Conference squad.
High Point's Al Barnes and Coastal's Alan Connie were named Coaches of the Year, while Coastal Carolina's Mohr was named the women's Freshman of the Year. Liberty's Falat and Winthrop's Carrie Selmer were also tabbed Scholar-Athlete of the Year.
2004 Men's Cross Country All-Academic Team David Scoville, Birmingham-Southern Terah Kipchiris, Coastal Carolina Kyle Lounsbury, High Point Evan Falat, Liberty Peter McCann, Radford Carmin Mazzotta, UNC Asheville Anthony Harris, VMI 2004 Women's Cross Country All-Academic Team Natalie Bruce, Birmingham-Southern Cheryl Ewing, Charleston Southern Kim Nemergut, Coastal Carolina Jamie Vetten, High Point Samantha Pelletier, Liberty Maria Geary, Radford Devon Nemire-Pepe, UNC Asheville Carrie Selmer, Winthrop