Cross Country Teams Compete In Southeast Regionals

November 14, 1998

GREENVILLE, S.C. – The Clemson mens and womens cross country teams competed in the Southeast Region (District III) Cross Country Meet Saturday at Furman. The mens team took fifth place with 148 points. James Madison and N.C. State, both ranked among the nations top 20 teams, took first and second place, respectively, to qualify for the national meet. At-large bids for the national meet will be announced Monday.

Six of the seven Tiger runners ran a personal-best during the meet. Clemson senior Joe Gibson qualified automatically for the national meet, placing seventh in the 10K race with a time of 30:21 to earn all-region honors. Senior Esteban Diaz also earned all-Southeast Region honors, taking 18th place with a time of 30:48.

Freshman Jason Meany placed 40th with a time of 31:25, and freshman B.J. Dillard was 44th (31:29). Junior Steve Alexander took 48th place with a time of 31:33, and freshman Ryan Demers was 52nd (31:37). Senior Matt Tooman rounded out the Clemson runners, placing 65th with a time of 31:58.

Gibsons time was the 10th-best time run by a Clemson athlete on the course, and Diazs time placed 16th on the Tiger all-time list. Meany ran the fifth- best time by a Clemson freshman on the course, and Dillards time was the seventh-best by a Tiger rookie.

“Im delighted with what we did as a team,” said head coach Bob Pollock. “I feel like we performed extremely well and Im very excited for Joe Gibson. He missed nationals last year by one place and has worked extremely hard all season to get to this point. The team as a whole had a good size improvements from last years region race.”

In the womens race, Clemson placed eighth with 226 points. N.C. State and Wake Forest, each ranked among the nations top 20 teams, placed first and second, respectively, to qualify for the national meet. Tiger junior Beth Ahern placed 19th on the 5K course with a time of 17:57 to earn all-Southeast Region honors.

Junior Julianne Littman finished 34th with a time of 18:17, and senior Brantley Epps was 36th, finishing the course in 18:19. Junior Erika Van Reenan placed 68th, running a time of 18:53, while junior Anne Stowell was 82nd (19:03). Junior Shannon Schoppman ran the course in 19:33, placing 119th for the Tigers.