WVU Tech claims 2020 RSC Women's Cross Country Championship
WVU Tech claims 2020 RSC Women's Cross Country Championship
FINAL RESULTS
RIO GRANDE, Ohio -- WVU Tech won the 2020 River States Conference Women's Cross Country Championship on Saturday, Nov. 7 from University of Rio Grande (Ohio). The Golden Bears had three first-team all-conference performers and put all five of their scorers in the Top 20 of the race to win big.
WVU Tech posted a team score of 38 points. Midway (Ky.) University took second place with 84 points and pair of all-conference selections. Both of those teams earned automatic qualification to the NAIA National Championship in the spring as the RSC champion and runner-up.
Asbury (Ky.) University was narrowly in third place with 86 points. Indiana University East (116 points) was fourth followed by Indiana University Kokomo (131 points) and Point Park (Pa.) University (140 points) to round out the top half of the field of 12 teams.
Asbury senior Bethany Hamilton claimed the RSC individual championship and RSC Runner of the Year with a time of 20 minutes, 7 seconds in the 5,000-meter race. She won by 13 seconds over the rest of the field of 97 total runners. Asbury had two of the individual awards with Carolina Trumpower earning RSC Newcomer of the Year in 11th place overall.
The top seven finishers earned All-RSC First Team honors with WVU Tech putting three on that first-team squad to win. The Golden Bears had Kaeley Boyd (20:20) in second place, Kara Sandusky (20:38) in third and Jaelynn Parks (20:44) in fifth.
Finishers eight through 14 were named to the All-RSC Second Team. WVU Tech had Carmen Camino (21:01) in eighth place to head that list. Overall, the second team was represented with six different schools.
WVU Tech head coach Jeremy Bloom was named the RSC Coach of the Year after the team title.
Midway's runner-up finish was led by first-team performer Sadie Taylor (20:51) in seventh place and second-teamer Josette Isaacs (21:04) in ninth.
The top finishers not from NAIA team qualifiers WVU Tech or Midway earned individual qualification to the NAIA National Championship. That group was led by champion Hamilton from Asbury and also included Rachel Jones (20:40) from Carlow (Pa.) University in fourth, Brittany Lenz (20:48) from Ohio Christian University in sixth, Alyssa Boyd (21:05) from Point Park (Pa.) University in 10th, Carolina Trumpower (21:10) from Asbury (Ky.) in 11th and Julia Arruda (21:11) from Indiana University East in 12th.
The RSC Champions of Character Team was also named with one individual nominated from each school. Honorees were chosen for best representing the NAIA's five character values on their team: Respect, Responsibility, Integrity, Servant Leadership and Sportsmanship.
The 2021 NAIA Cross Country National Championship will be held April 9 in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
RSC WOMEN'S CROSS COUNTRY INDIVIDUAL AWARDS
Runner of the Year -- Bethany Hamilton (Asbury)
Newcomer of the Year -- Carolina Trumpower (Asbury)
Coach of the Year -- Jeremy Bloom (WVU Tech)
ALL-RSC WOMEN'S CROSS COUNTRY FIRST TEAM
1. Bethany Hamilton (Asbury) -- 20:07**
2. Kaeley Boyd (WVU Tech) -- 20:20
3. Kara Sandusky (WVU Tech) -- 20:38
4. Rachel Jones (Carlow) -- 20:40**
5. Jaelynn Parks (WVU Tech) -- 20:44
6. Brittany Lenz (Ohio Christian) -- 20:48**
7. Sadie Taylor (Midway) -- 20:51
ALL-RSC WOMEN'S CROSS COUNTRY SECOND TEAM
8. Carmen Camino (WVU Tech) -- 21:01
9. Josette Isaacs (Midway) -- 21:04
10. Alyssa Boyd (Point Park) -- 21:05**
11. Carolina Trumpower (Asbury) -- 21:10**
12. Julia Arruda (IU East) -- 21:11**
13. Casey Lechner (IU Kokomo) -- 21:16
14. Alex Barr (Point Park) -- 21:18
**NAIA individual national qualifier
RSC WOMEN'S CROSS COUNTRY CHAMPIONS OF CHARACTER TEAM
Alice Lloyd (Ky.) College -- Morgan Arthur
Asbury (Ky.) University -- Grace Raison
Brescia (Ky.) University -- McKenzie Severs
Carlow (Pa.) University -- Larissa Kijowski
Indiana University East -- Savannah Hart
Indiana University Kokomo -- Casey Lechner
Midway (Ky.) University -- Aliyah Helm
Oakland City (Ind.) University -- Halley Powers
Ohio Christian University -- Lauryn Rutan
Point Park (Pa.) University -- Alex Barr
University of Rio Grande (Ohio) -- Darcy Williams
WVU Tech -- Kaeley Boyd