By Steve Keenan
GLENVILLE — Competitors in Saturday’s West Virginia Conference cross country championships were treated to a true test on a “the-more-mud-and-hills-the-better” course.
And the Seton Hill men (barely) and the West Virginia Wesleyan women managed to be the most adept at maneuvering through the stout setting.
Led by individual winner Dom Damasso, who achieved a clocking of 28 minutes, 45.11 seconds in the demanding 8-kilometer race at Glenville State College, Seton Hill dethroned defending men’s team champion Wesleyan. Both squads scored 51 points, but Seton Hill’s sixth runner crossed the line five spots ahead of Wesleyan’s to hand the Griffins the title.
In the women’s competition, Wesleyan captured its eighth straight title and its 15 in the last 16. The Bobcats ran without No. 2 runner Rana Conneway, who was injured in the pre-race walk-through the previous evening. Despite that, Wesleyan tallied a low team score of 69 points, edging runner-up Seton Hill (75) and third-place Concord (76).
The individual winner in the women’s race was Alderson-Broaddus’ Sherry Borsos, who competed the 6-kilometer course in 25:35.53. Wesleyan’s top finisher, Jenna Brock, placed second in 26:19.25.
“Our No. 2 went down, and the girls were really down Friday night,” veteran Bobcat coach Jesse Skiles said. “They came back this morning and focused on the task.”
For the Wesleyan men, freshman Skyler McCoy, a Webster County product, turned in a solid third-place showing (29:22.92). Former Richwood runner Dustin Wood was seventh in 29:43.28 for Glenville.
Concord finished third in both divisions — one showing being a disappointment and one a surprise. The men, the highest-seeded WVC team in the East Region ratings last week, scored 68 points to trail Seton Hill and Wesleyan.
“I don’t know if they ran a little tight or what,” CU coach Mikey Cox said. “They kind of crumbled under the pressure.
“A couple of guys didn’t have good days. Anything can happen on a day like today.”
The Mountain Lion men were led by the 8-9 finish of Robby Peters (29:45.01) and Nathan Rees (29:49.79). Leading runner Craig Pritt, one of the pre-meet favorites who was hobbled by a non-running injury, placed 16th in 30:26.88. Lance McDaniel (17th, 30:29.51) and Nick Lucento (18th, 30:30.45) followed for Concord.
The CU women, who were fifth in the coaches’ pre-meet poll, were led by freshman Chelsea Callaway, who covered the distance in 26:44.2. Teammate Rachel Williams was 12th in 27:24.5. Also placing were Danielle Pye (14th, 27:27.96), Carly Stout (15th, 27:41.04) and Tabatha Whited (29th, 29:07.62).
“I was very pleased with the women,” Cox said. “The front four really got it done.”
The NCAA Division II East Region championship meet is set for Nov. 7 in Mansfield, Pa.
— E-mail: skeenan@
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