Converse, UNC Pembroke Pick Up Team Titles at 2023 Conference Carolinas Cross Country Championships

Converse, UNC Pembroke Pick Up Team Titles at 2023 Conference Carolinas Cross Country Championships

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Men’s Results | Women’s Results 
 

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – It was a special morning at McAlpine Creek Park with the UNC Pembroke men and the Converse women taking home the team titles at the 2023 Conference Carolinas Men’s and Women’s Cross Country Championships.
 
In an extremely tight race, UNC Pembroke secured its second consecutive men’s team title. UNC Pembroke had four runners in the top-15 to finish with 57 points to narrowly best second-place finisher Belmont Abbey (70).
 
Jack Phieffer (second) and Norman Junker (sixth) both finished in the top-10 for UNC Pembroke, while Delsin Burkhart (13) and Hunter Levy (14) both earned second-team all-conference finishes with top-15 individual finishes.
 
The Freshman of the Year in the 2022 season, Southern Wesleyan’s Ronan O’Neill became the first Warrior to claim the Conference Carolinas individual title. He finished with a time of 24:45.9 to claim top individual honors in the 8K 2023 Conference Carolinas Men’s Cross Country Championship.
 
Converse captured its first-ever Conference Carolinas Women’s Cross Country team title with a strong performance that included three runners in the top-five. The commanding performance allowed Converse to finish with a total of just 31 points. UNC Pembroke finished second with 67 points. Lauren Beatty was the top Converse finisher in second, while Ruth Spijker (fourth) and Ashley Sosa (fifth) were the final two in the top-five individually for Converse.
 
Moureen Kimaiyo of UNC Pembroke picked up the third straight individual win for UNC Pembroke with a 6K time of 22:07.1 Her teammate Jackline Kosgei, who finished third with a time of 22.29:6 in the 2023 Conference Carolinas Women’s Cross Country Championship, had won the previous two individual titles.
 
Please visit ConferenceCarolinas.com/Championships to learn more about all of the 2023-24 championship events in Conference Carolinas.
 
2023 Men’s Cross Country Championship
Individual Award Winners
 
Runner of the Year
Ronan O’Neill, Southern Wesleyan
 
Freshman of the Year
Kaeden Martin, Barton
 
Coach of the Year
Dan Finanger, Belmont Abbey
 
Elite 23
Liam King, Young Harris
 
 
2023 Women’s Cross Country Championship
Individual Award Winners
 
Runner of the Year
Moureen Kimaiyo, UNC Pembroke
 
Freshman of the Year
Moureen Kimaiyo, UNC Pembroke
 
Coach of the Year
Mark Rennix, Converse
 
Elite 23
Abbey Frock, Southern Wesleyan
 
 
2023 Men’s Cross Country Championship
Final Team Results
  1. UNC Pembroke (57)
  2. Belmont Abbey (70)
  3. Lees-McRae (111)
  4. Southern Wesleyan (129)
  5. Converse (138)
  6. North Greenville (152)
  7. Erskine (167)
  8. King (187)
  9. Mount Olive (223)
  10. Young Harris (226)
  11. Emmanuel (314)
  12. Francis Marion (358)
  13. Chowan (398)
2023 Women’s Cross Country Championship
Final Team Results
  1. Converse (31)
  2. UNC Pembroke (67)
  3. North Greenville (79)
  4. Lees-McRae (133)
  5. Southern Wesleyan (145)
  6. King (155)
  7. Belmont Abbey (160)
  8. Erskine (211)
  9. Emmanuel (251)
  10. Mount Olive (262)
  11. Francis Marion (286)
  12. Young Harris (294)
  13. Chowan (380)
 
2023 Men’s Cross Country Championship
All-Conference
 
First Team 
Ronan O’Neill, Southern Wesleyan
Jack Phieffer, UNC Pembroke
Demarco Hernandez, Emmanuel
Hayden Goode, North Greenville
Jordan Keith, King
Norman Junker, UNC Pembroke
Alexander Sosa, Converse

Second Team 
Nathan Gallman, Belmont Abbey
Brian Sause, Belmont Abbey
Zachary Knott, Belmont Abbey
Josh Booher, King
Max Geckler, Lees-McRae
Delsin Burkhart, UNC Pembroke
Hunter Levy, UNC Pembroke

Third Team 
Ian Kelbert, Lees-McRae
Luis Rios Brena, Converse
Joey Tindale, Erskine
Elliot Wunder, Belmont Abbey
Riley Willcox, Mount Olive
Thomas Macagg, Southern Wesleyan
Josh Brett, Lees-McRae
 
2023 Women’s Cross Country Championship
All-Conference
 
First Team 
Moureen Kimaiyo, UNC Pembroke
Lauren Beatty, Converse
Jackline Kosgei, UNC Pembroke
Ruth Spijker, Converse
Ashley Sosa, Converse
Cecily Anderton, North Greenville
Campbell Dille, Lees-McRae

Second Team 
Riley Nicholson, North Greenville
Kamille Dixon, Converse
Deanna Betzer, Lees-McRae
Froukje Mons, Converse
Riley Shope, North Greenville
Madison Quinn, Lees-McRae
Anne van den Broek, Converse

Third Team 
Makenna Pallozzi, Belmont Abbey
Abbey Frock, Southern Wesleyan
Celine Fleurilus, Mount Olive
Ermay Vazquez, King
Merritt Smith, Southern Wesleyan
Karen Piro, UNC Pembroke
Malea Bennewitz, UNC Pembroke