FROM STAFF REPORTS

For the first time in program history, the University of Montevallo women’s cross country team will compete at the NCAA Division II Championships.

The Falcons needed to finish in the top two at the NCAA Southeast Region Championship, and the Falcons did just that as they finished second among the field of 26 teams Nov. 5 in Charlotte, N.C.

Montevallo edged third place Mount Olive by just five points.

Juniors Haley Evans and Kaley Glover led the Falcons as they finished 12th and 13th overall in the race, respectively. Montevallo’s top three runners broke the school record for a 6K race, including Evans, Glover and freshman Lauren Recchia, who also set the new freshman record for a 6K.

Evans completed the course in 22:28.9, which is 48 seconds faster then her previous school record. Glover finished with a time of 22:38.9 to best the record by 38 seconds, while Recchia finished 23rd overall with a time of 23:11.4 and topped the school record by five seconds. Recchia beat the freshman record by 34 seconds.

Sophomore In-Mi Matsunaga finished 36th overall with a time of 23:42.9, which ranks fifth in the Montevallo record book. The final runner in Montevallo’s top-five was senior Katherine Schofield,  who finished 62nd overall with a time of 24:11.4. Schofield’s time would have ranked seventh in the Falcons’ record book prior to today’s race, but comes in at 11th after the top-four runners posted top times.

Senior Ginny Davis finished 93rd overall with a time of 24:50.4, while senior Whitney Adkins finished 144th with a time of 26:18.3.

The Falcons will now advance to the NCAA Championships in Spokane, Wash., on Nov. 19. It will be the first appearance for the Montevallo cross country program in the NCAA Championships.

A banged up University of Montevallo men’s cross country team finished 21st at the NCAA Southeast Regionals. Without one of its top runners, who was out due to illness, the Falcons gutted out a tough 10K race in which they finished ahead of Pfeiffer, Francis Marion and Carson-Newman.

Freshman Zackery Walsh led the Falcons with an 80th place finish with a time of 34:16.9. Freshman Nick Fasanello was not far behind as he finished 91st with a time of 34:47.4.

Sophomore Mark McDonald crossed the line 101st overall with a time of 35:08.3. Freshman Brian Smith came in 148th with a time of 37:45.7, while senior Austin McIntosh rounded out the top five in 150th with a time of 38:11.6.

Sophomore Jake Davidson was Montevallo’s final runner and he finished 161st overall with a time of 39:29.2.

The race wraps up the Falcons season in which they continued to grow as a program and broke a number of school records. Montevallo will return almost its entire line-up next season, and with the addition of a few recruits, the Falcons will look to continue their climb in the Peach Belt Conference.