10 Conference Carolinas Cross Country Runners Named Division II All-Region Honorees; Mount Olive Earns Major Awards
10 Conference Carolinas Cross Country Runners Named Division II All-Region Honorees; Mount Olive Earns Major Awards
NEW ORLEANS, LA. – All-Region honorees for NCAA Division II Cross Country were recognized on Monday, while All-Region Athletes and Coaches of the Year were awarded on Tuesday by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) following the weekend’s NCAA regional championships meets. Conference Carolinas had three individuals earn major awards and 10 individuals, six men and four women, receive southeast all-region honors.
A total of 392 student-athletes (198 men and 194 women) from 136 schools earned the distinction by finishing among the top 25 individual finishers at one of the eight regional sites across the country.
Leading the way on the men's side was Southeast Regional champion Mount Olive with four runners making the list. The group was led by sophomore Adam Craig, who was also named the Southeast Region Athlete of the Year. Junior Jonathan Dahlke and seniors Pol Domenech-Ferrer and Fredric Lang rounded out Mount Olive's all-region honorees.
Barton's Joel Lagat and King's Tanner Cook were the fifth and sixth all-region selections from Conference Carolinas.
On the women's side, the freshman sensation Leah Hanle of Mount Olive, who won the Southeast Region individual title, took home the Southeast Region Athlete of the Year and earned all-region honors. Hanle's teammate Bailee Henry was also named all-region while Sharon Kiptoo of Barton and Allyson Malone of Limestone were also tabbed all-region.
In addition to all-region honors, Mount Olive men's head coach Matt van Lierop was named the Southeast Region Coach of the Year.
The NCAA Division II Cross Country Championships will be held November 19 in Saint Leo, Florida. Conference Carolinas will send Mount Olive's men's team, while Mount Olive's Hanle and King's Cook will compete as indviduals in nationals.
Full USTFCCCA Athletes and Coaches of the Year Release
Full USTFCCCA All-Region Release
MEN – 2016 NCAA DIVISION II XC ALL-REGION HONOREES (USTFCCCA)
Joel Lagat, Barton
Tanner Cook, King
Jonathan Dahlke, Mount Olive
Adam Craig, Mount Olive
Pol Domenech-Ferrer, Mount Olive
Fredric Lang, Mount Olive
WOMEN – 2016 NCAA DIVISION II XC ALL-REGION HONOREES (USTFCCCA)
Sharon Kiptoo, Barton
Allyson Malone, Limestone
Leah Hanle, Mount Olive
Bailee Henry, Mount Olive
Conference Carolinas is a NCAA Division II athletics conference made up of 12 teams from Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee. These institutions consist of: Barton College, Belmont Abbey College, Converse College, Emmanuel College, Erskine College, King University, Lees-McRae College, Limestone College, University of Mount Olive, North Greenville University, Pfeiffer University, and Southern Wesleyan University. Emmanuel College is currently completing the NCAA Membership Process and will be fully competing in league championships in the near future.