RESULTS | ALL-GSC TEAMS

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. – The Lee University women's cross country team claimed its seventh-consecutive GSC Championship Saturday morning at John Hunt Cross Country Park. The fifth-ranked Lady Flames placed six runners in the top 10 on their way to collecting just 21 points. No. 24 Mississippi College finished second with 44 points and Alabama Huntsville was third with 110 points.

Aria Hawkins was the individual winner of the 5K race with a time of 17:08.40. Lauren Wallace of Mississippi College was second (17:24.80) before a contingent of three Lady Flames closed out the top five. Liza Kellerman (17:31.90) was third, McKenna Cavanaugh (17:37.00) was fourth and Danielle Horter placed fifth (17:41.50). Katie Krueger was the final scorer for Lee. Krueger stopped the clock at 17:46.60 for eighth.

Zoe Brickley and Ashlyn Iliff were Lee's spacers. Brickley placed 10^th at 17:56.40 and Iliff was 11^th overall with a time of 17:56.80.

Phoebe Moran gave Lee eight runners in the top 20 with a 20^th-place finish time of 18:37.50. Katie Beam was the final Lady Flame to complete the circuit at 18:50.90 (23^rd).

Lee had eight runners earn recognition as All-GSC. Hawkins, Kellerman, Cavanaugh, Horter, Krueger and Brickley took six of the 10 spots on the First Team, while Iliff and Moran claimed two positions on the Second Team.

Aria Hawkins was named GSC Runner of the Year and Director of Cross Country Caleb Morgan was the GSC Women's Cross Country Coach of the Year.

The Lady Flames will now advance to the NCAA Division II South Region Championships on November 4. The 6K race is set to be held at the University of Montevallo Cross Country Course.
 

Coach Caleb Morgan's Thoughts:
"We were just telling them to keep doing what you've been doing all year. We felt like it was going to be easier for us to pack run than it was for our first few races, just because the field was a whole lot smaller and we could kind of navigate and see where everyone is. They did a phenomenal job of making sure we were pushing in the middle, the third and fourth kilometer, and making sure we were setting it up to not only win but also to run fast. We knew if it was fast with the talent level we have and the faster personal bests that it would make it a lot tougher for the other teams. They did a great job making it quick, especially Aria up in the front and everybody else just followed in. It was our fastest average team time ever and that was our lowest score ever at a conference championship. A couple of big highlights that definitely set the tone for us heading into regionals and nationals."

"Aria looked a lot more relaxed than I thought she was going to, especially to run 17:08. Every time she came by me on the course she was smiling, and she looked like she was having fun with it. She's one of those key components we're going to need at nationals. We need her to go out there and get top 15 if we want to get top five or six as a team. We feel like that is something she should be able to do."