Men’s cross country wins NCCAA championship

Both Eagles squads end season strong with top honors.

Sasha Terry, Copy Editor • November 14, 2017

Photo Courtesy of Kevin Horchler

Men’s and women’s cross country competed in the National Christian College Athletic Association National Championships at Choctaw Trails in Clinton, Miss. on Nov. 11. Both men’s and women’s teams raced against 12 other teams in the event, hosted by Belhaven University.

MEN PLACE FIRST IN CHAMPIONSHIPS

The men competed in the 8k and scored 31 points as a team. The Eagles placed first to take the national title with an average time of 25:56.03 and total time of 2:09:40.15.

Sophomore Gabe Plendcio won the 8k in a time of 25:27.81. Plendcio’s time proved 10 seconds faster than second place finisher Ethan Sullivan from Cedarville University. Plendcio is also the second Eagle to win a national championship in three years, as Kellian Hunt won the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics women’s cross country title in 2015. Freshman Giovanni Orellana placed fourth with a time of 25:44.05. Junior Ryan Thompson finished close to Orellana with a time of 25:44.15. Freshman Ryan St. Pierre placed ninth with a time of 26:12.39 and senior Timothy Wilson placed 12th with a time of 26:31.74.

WOMEN’S TEAM FACE STIFF COMPETITION

The women raced in the competitive 5k and placed second with 67 points overall. They finished with an average time of 18:35.71 and a total time of 1:32:58.54. Cedarville placed first with 55 points and an average time of 18:21.55.

The top runner, Alaina Spears from Cedarville, finished with a 17:28.27 time. Junior Hannah Hunsaker was the top placer for the Eagles, finishing in eighth with a time of 18:19.44. Not too far from her, senior Stephanie Croy placed 10th with a 18:25.37 time. Freshman Mackenna Mason finished in 14th with a time of 18:29.77. Junior Emily Ransom placed 16th with a time of 18:46.15 and sophomore Jessica Cody placed 19th with a 18:57.81 time.

Several runners recieved the NCCAA All-American honors award, including Plendcio, Orellana, Thompson, St. Pierre and Wilson for the 8k, and Hunsaker, Croy and Mason for the 5k race. Wilson, Cody, Croy, junior Elizabeth Pintarich and junior Kaili Waller all were awarded with NCCAA Scholar-Athlete honors.

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About the Contributor

Sasha Terry, Copy Editor

Sasha Terry is a senior journalism major who is known for her positivity and passion. She enjoys writing, playing sports, watching movies, traveling, shopping and spending time with friends and family. After traveling from Auburn, Washington which is about 40 minutes south of Seattle, to Biola University, I declared to major in journalism with an emphasis in broadcast. I came to Biola University with a strong passion for being involved in activities on campus that would demonstrate my artistic and writing abilities. The Chimes caught my eye the first semester of my freshman year and I decided to work with the staff as a freelance sports writer. I enjoyed attending the games, interviewing the coaches and players and writing game recaps. The next semester, I applied for the sports staff writer position and was accepted, which strengthened my writing drastically. During my sophomore and junior year, I worked as a Web Editor and innovated the Chimes website and social media pages. This year, I am stepping into the Copy Editor position and I aim to continue working towards my goal of being a broadcast journalist by reporting stories and challenging myself to learn more about AP Style. I will also continue to write for the sports section to strengthen my writing even more. I’m so glad to be a part of the staff and I’m excited for what’s to come next.