Southland Conference

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CONWAY, Ark. – Conditions were primed for the 2019 Southland Conference Cross Country Championships at Beaverfork Lake Park in Conway, Ark. The women’s team title will remain in Conway as Central Arkansas put together a first-place performance with 64 points for its first-ever Southland Championship. Lamar captured the title on the men’s side, landing six runners among the top-15 finishers and scoring 34 points to set a new conference championship record for widest margin of victory (86).

New Orleans’ Arina Kleshchukova registered a first-place individual finish in the 6k race with a time of 20:50.5 in order to be named the women’s Athlete of the Year. Lamar’s Jordan Rowe snagged men’s Athlete of the Year honors with a first-place individual finish in the 8k event with a 24:01.7.

Central Arkansas’ 64 points came on the shoulders of Erin Woodward, who led the Bears with a seventh-place overall finish. Central Arkansas landed five runners among the top 20 in order to beat out Stephen F. Austin’s 70-point performance.

Kleshchukova narrowly edged out SFA’s Kelsey Ramirez by one second in order to grab New Orleans’ first women’s individual title in program history. The Ladyjacks’ Meredith Clayton was named Freshman of the Year following an 11th-place performance. Quin Johnson took home Newcomer of the Year for Texas A&M-Corpus Christi with a 13th-place finish.

Five schools were represented on the women’s all-conference first team. A&M-Corpus Christi’s Valentina Campos, Abilene Christian’s Briahna Gerlach and Lamar’s Julie Emmerson all joined Kleshchukova and Ramirez with first-team honors.

The Ladyjacks secured a second-place finish with 70 points, while the Islanders took third place with 94 points.

Rowe led the Lamar men’s program to its sixth team title in seven years, while also cementing the Cardinals’ fifth individual title since the 2013 season. LU’s Liam Burthem stamped a fourth-place finish in order to be named the Newcomer of the Year, while ACU’s Denis Lagat took fifth-place along with Freshman of the Year honors.

Lamar claimed three spots on the first team all-conference squad with Rowe, Burthem and Jack Gooch. Abilene Christian’s Lagat was also named a first-team selection, while fellow Wildcat Kevin Kipkosgei rounded out the five-man squad with a second-place individual finish.

The Islanders claimed the runner-up trophy with 120 points, while Abilene Christian finished third place overall with 126 points in the men’s 8k event.

The 2019 NCAA South Central Regional  race will take place at the Agri-Park on Friday, Nov. 15 in Fayetteville, Ark., hosted by Arkansas. The 2019 NCAA Cross Country Championships will take place at LaVern Gibson Championship Course in Terre Haute, Ind., Saturday, Nov. 23.
 
2019 Southland Championship Team Finishes:

Women
1. Central Arkansas
2. Stephen F. Austin
3. Texas A&M-Corpus Christi
4. Abilene Christian
5. UIW
6. Lamar
7. McNeese
8. Southeastern Louisiana
9. Nicholls
10. Houston Baptist
11. New Orleans
12. Sam Houston State
13. Northwestern State

Men
1. Lamar
2. Texas A&M-Corpus Christi
3. Abilene Christian
4. McNeese
5. Stephen F. Austin
6. UIW
7. Central Arkansas
8. Southeastern Louisiana
9. Sam Houston State
10. New Orleans
11. Houston Baptist
12. Nicholls
13. Northwestern State

 
Individual Superlatives:

Women
Freshman of the Year – Meredith Clayton, SFA
Newcomer of the Year – Quin Johnson, TAMU-CC
Coach of the Year – Beau Theriot, UCA
Athlete of the Year – Arina Kleshchukova, UNO

Men
Freshman of the Year – Denis Lagat, ACU
Newcomer of the Year – Liam Burthem, LU
Coach of the Year – Tony Houchin, LU
Athlete of the Year –  Jordan Rowe, LU