Men's Cross Country Eyeing SoCon Title

• Championship Central
  

DAVIDSON, N.C. - Under the leadership of record-setting junior Ryan Hopkins, the Davidson men's cross country team will enter the 81st annual Southern Conference Cross Country Championships looking to displace defending champion Appalachian State on their home course. The 8000-meter race will commence at 10:45 a.m. Saturday at State Farm Field in Boone, N.C.

Davidson will enter the tournament against a tough field of competitors including the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association South region's ninth-ranked Chattanooga, and the Southeast region's 10th-ranked Appalachian State and 13th-ranked UNCG.

Hopkins has lead the Wildcats in each of their four team events including their first place finish in Clemson's Invitational Tournament on September 17th, in which he set a new Davidson men's 8k record at 24 minutes, 20 seconds. Hopkins then broke his own record to establish a new 8k record at 24:08 seconds at the Greater Louisville Cross Country Classic.

Following close behind, senior Charlie Schmitt and sophomore Demetrios Pagonis have each obtained times beneath 25 minutes for the 2010 season at 24:42 and 24:59, respectively.

Junior Ian Tupper, senior Greg Marcil, and sophomore Vincent Weir will look to compete to be Davidson's top-five scoring group. Tupper posted a season-best time of 25:21 at the Greater Louisville Cross Country Classic. Other top Wildcats looking to contribute include sophomore Wes Reynolds and freshmen Grayam Sailor-Tynes and Landry Bennett.

In the recent Greater Louisville Cross Country Classic the Wildcats finished 15th, beating conference rivals Chattanooga and Elon and but placing behind UNCG.

The first-place finishing team will be crowned the 2010 Conference Cross Country Champion, while the top-seven individuals in each race will be named First Team All-Conference. Those finishers placing eighth through 14th will be named to the Second Team All-Conference.

Last year, Appalachian State won the Championship for the fifth time in a row, narrowly defeating the Wildcats as they earned a team-best second-place finish. The Wildcats were led by the since-graduated Lance Harden, who placed third with a time of 25:05.03. Hopkins placed eighth in 25:32.63 to earn All-SoCon Second Team honors.

In the coaches' preseason poll, the Mountaineers were tabbed as the preseason favorites, finishing just ahead of UNCG in the voting. Davidson was tabbed fourth. The Mountaineers are led by junior Sean Soderman, who has the fastest time for a Mountaineer this season in an 8K race and the sixth fastest time in the SoCon. UNCG is looking for knock off the five-time conference champions behind the strong running of Joey Thompson and Mike Koech, who have the third and fifth fastest times, respectively, in the conference this season on an 8K course. Last year's top men's finisher and two-time SoCon Runner of the Year Emmanuel Kirwa of Chattanooga returns this season, as he hopes to lead the Mocs to the title.

For more information, visit the SoCon Championship page.