Cross Country Competes at ACC Championships

Nov. 1, 2008

Chapel Hill, NC – The women’s cross country team finished eighth Saturday to highlight Clemson’s efforts at the 2008 ACC Championships. The program produced its best finish since 2000 and lowest point total since 1999, while Jenna Baker became the first All-ACC runner for the Clemson women’s team since two student-athletes earned the honor in 1998.

Florida State, ranked #3 on the women’s side in the latest coaches’ poll, earned its second straight conference crown with 27 points. The Seminoles ran away with the championship, finishing nearly eighty points ahead of runner-up Boston College. Wake Forest was third in the women’s race with 112 points. Clemson totaled 170 points and recorded its best finish in women’s cross country in many years.

Baker crossed the finish line in 13th place, good enough to earn All-ACC recognition for the Ohio native. She is the first women’s cross country athlete to earn all-conference honors for Clemson since Beth Ahern and Julianne Littmann in 1998. Baker established a personal best over the 6000m course. The sophomore turned in a time of 21:14.6.

Kim Ruck continued to build on her outstanding underdog story. The freshman from Greer, SC walked on to the team in the fall and has finished in the team’s #2 position in both meets in which she has competed. She was a standout soccer player in high school and did not run cross country. Ruck had a time of 21:27.6 and was 20th overall, fourth-best among league freshmen.

Laura Laughlin was 42nd with a time of 22:01.6. The junior from Aiken, SC recorded her best finish in three conference meet appearances. Joanie Castagno continued to display her improvement as a sophomore, finishing 45th with a time of 22:04.2. Her 6K time was a personal best by nearly two minutes. The team’s final scorer Saturday was another sophomore, Stephanie Buffo of Spartanburg, SC. Buffo had a time of 22:31.5.

Finishing just outside of scoring position in 66th was another freshman, Alyssa Kulik of Greenville, SC.

On the men’s side, Clemson came home with a ninth-place finish. Virginia earned its second straight ACC title with 40 points. The Cavaliers are ranked #14 in the latest coaches’ poll. NC State was runner-up in the men’s race with 56 points, while Virginia Tech (75) was third.

Will Noble was impressive Saturday, earning his best-ever finish at the ACC Championships with a 21st-place showing. The co-captain from Gray Court, SC had a time of 25:14.3. Jonathan Sunde was the team’s #2 finisher at 25:43.4. Sunde improved his finishing position by five spots from the 2007 league meet.

Sam Bryfczynski, the team’s top runner, has been slowed the last two meets due to soreness. The graduate co-captain was 40th Saturday, posting a time of 25:44.0 on the 8000m course. The men’s team was once again without Bryce Iverson, a former All-ACC performer who has been out all season due to injury.

The final two scorers Saturday for the men’s team were a pair of sophomores competing in their first-ever ACC Championships. Tyler Morey was 53rd, posting a time of 25:58.9. Chris Slate, a native of Delaware, had a time of 26:24.5 in his first conference meet.

The men’s and women’s teams return to action in two weeks for the NCAA Southeast Region Championships. The meet will be held in Clemmons, NC on November 15.