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Athletic News
10/23/2009 -
Trojans Finish Fourth At 2009 Conference Carolinas Men's Cross Country Championship
Mount Olive head men’s cross country coach Matt van Lierop said his team was capable of finishing among the top three in the conference championship. The Trojans came within two points of doing just that.
Kerry Maloney earned All-Conference honors and Mount Olive placed fourth out of 11 teams at the 2009 Conference Carolinas Men’s Cross Country Championship Friday at Charlotte, N.C. The finish was the Trojans’ best since winning the conference title in 2001.
The Trojans totaled 116 points to finish only two points behind third-place Anderson (114 points). Points are based on where a team’s top five individuals finish, the team with the lowest score winning the event.
Maloney finished 13th out of 82 runners and was named to the All-Conference Carolinas third team. Maloney ran the 8k course in a time of 26:38, the fourth-fastest time in school history. He becomes the first Trojan Men’s Cross Country All-Conference runner since 2001.
Despite the individual accomplishments, Maloney was more focused on the team performance.
“Our goal was to finish in the top three, so there’s a little disappointment that we came so close and just missed out,” said Maloney, a sophomore from Scranton, Pa. “But overall, this was a big step up for the program.”
Mount Olive improved five spots from last year’s ninth-place finish at the conference championship.
Kevin Ryan (27:39) finished 19th, while Paul Hoffman (27:54) was 25th, finishing two seconds ahead of Ronnie Sturgill (27:56) in 26th. Chris Menjares (28:50) placed 34th. Hoffman, Sturgill and Menjares all posted season-best times.
“I feel like we ran great as a team today,” said Ryan, a sophomore from Ringwood, N.J. “Top three would have been nice, but we had some p.r.’s (personal records) today and we’ve been improving with each meet this year.”
Maloney, Ryan and Hoffman all transferred to Mount Olive from Keystone College (Pa.), where they ran for van Lierop before he took the position at Mount Olive last spring.
“We’re kind of representing the northern belt,” Maloney joked. “But all of the returning runners accepted us and made us feel welcome, and that’s helped us do well as a team this year.”
Ryan says the team’s attitude has also been a factor in the Trojans’ success this year.
“I think this year, everyone enjoys running and competing,” said Ryan. “We enjoy running for Coach Matt.”
Mount Olive entered 11 runners in the meet. Also competing for the Trojans were Rashaad Nelson (39th), Chris Etienne (46th), Cort McCombs (52nd), Marc Holaday (57th), Mario Aguilar (68th) and Ian Hodges (80th).
Host Queens won the team championship with a perfect score of 15. Queens runners captured each of the top seven spots. Oscar Ogwaro took the individual title.
Mount Olive likely will compete in the NCAA Division II Men’s Cross Country Southeast Regional, either as a team or with selected individuals. The regional takes place November 7 at Wingate, N.C.