Moccasin Women's Cross Country

Moccasin Women's Cross Country / Track

		Mocs 21st, Kwambai 55th At D-II Championship Men Win Regional, Kwambai Qualifies Individually Mocs Place Three On All-SSC Teams Men Win 11th Straight, Women Second At SSC Meet

MOCS 21st, KWAMBAI 55th AT D-II CHAMPIONSHIP

JOPLIN, MO (Nov. 17) - The Moccasins finished 21st in a field of 24 teams at the NCAA Division II Men's Cross Country Championship at Joplin, Mo., Saturday. The Lady Mocs' Carolyne Kwambai, running as an individual, placed 55th in the women's meet.

Freshman Ben Martucci was FSC's top runner, finishing 76th in a time of 32:51.3 over the 10K course. William Koeppel was the Mocs' number two runner for the second straight meet, finishing 86th in 33:00.7. Lief Thomason was 118th in 33:58.3. Drew Martucci was 127th in 34:13.8. Luke Beevor, who had been the Mocs' top runner in the Sunshine State Conference meet and the NCAA regional meet, placed 134th in 34:29.0. The Moccasins had a team score of 541. Abilene Christian won the men's meet with 59 points.

In the women's meet, Kwambai had a time of 22:07.7 over the 6K course. Adams State (Colo.) won the women's meet with 63 points.

MEN WIN REGIONAL, KWAMBAI QUALIFIES INDIVIDUALLY

HUNTSVILLE, ALA - For the fourth straight year, Florida Southern's men's cross country team is headed to the NCAA Division II Championship. Coach Rick Moody's Moccasins, winners of the Sunshine State Conference title two weeks ago, won their first-ever NCAA South Regional title Saturday at Huntsville, Ala. FSC, which went into Saturday's meet as the top-ranked team in the region, placed all five scoring runners in the top 20 and won with 61 points to earn a trip to the Division II Championship Nov. 17 at Joplin, Mo.

Luke Beevor, the SSC men's champion, led the Moccasin contingent with a third-place finish, covering the 10K course in 32:23.2. William Koeppel was 11th in 33:15.8, Ben Martucci was 12th in 33:17.3, Drew Martucci was 17th in 33:46.7 and Lief Thomason was 18th in 33:52.5. Beevor, Koeppel and Ben Martucci were named to the all-region team. Ala.-Huntsville and Tampa tied for second with 103 points each and will join FSC at the national championship. In earning their three previous trips to the championship meet, the Moccasins had finished second in the regional the past two years and third in 2004. The Moccasins' previous finishes at the national meet have been 20th in 2006, 13th in 2005 and 20th in 2004.

FSC's women also will be represented at the Division II championship, as Carolyne Kwambai finished eighth to qualify as an indivdiual and also make the 15-member all-region team. The top three teams in each race and top two individuals not on those three teams were the national qualifiers. Kwambai covered the 6K course in 22:08.4 as the top FSC finisher. Danielle Shimer was 17th in 23:05.6, Kelsey Dunn was 22nd in 23:23.2, Krystal Bemman was 47th in 24:26.5 and Ali Gardino was 54th in 24:31.6.

Tampa won the women's meet with 40 points. Harding was second in the team totals with 55 points and Ala.-Huntsville was third with 79. The Moccasins were fourth with 148 points.

MOCS PLACE THREE ON ALL-SSC TEAMS

The Moccasins had two representatives on the women's All-Sunshine State Conference Cross Country Team announced Wednesday. Carolyne Kwambai, who placed third at the SSC meet, was one of six runners on the team. Kelsey Dunn, who finished ninth at the SSC meet, was voted freshman of the year. Tampa's Laura Woznicki, the women's individual champion, was named women's runner of the year. Joining Kwambai and Woznicki on the all-conference team were Carolyn Salois-Horst of Florida Tech and Jessica Forrester, Paige Williams and Julia Viola of Tampa. Jarrett Slaven, whose Tampa team won the SSC meet with 18 points, was named women's coach of the year.

Even though the FSC men won their 11th straight SSC cross country championship Oct. 20, the Moccasins had just one runner selected to the men's All-SSC team. Luke Beevor, who was the men's individual champion at the SSC meet, was the Moccasins' lone representative on the six-man all-conference team. Nova Southeastern's Eskender Abdalla, who was seventh at the SSC meet, but who had five top ten finishes during the season, was named men's runner of the year. Florida Tech's Myles Garza, who was ninth at the SSC meet, had four top ten finishes during the season and was named freshman of the year, even though FSC freshman Ben Martucci placed fifth at the SSC meet. Completing the men's team were Tony Nicolosi, David Forry and Chris Catanach, all of Tampa. Slaven, whose Tampa team was second behind FSC, was named men's coach of the year.

The Moccasin men are ranked number one in the South Region and the women are ranked fourth, as both teams head into Saturday's NCAA South Regional at Huntsville, Ala. The top three teams in each race will qualify for the NCAA Division II Championship Nov. 17 at Joplin, Mo. The women's 6K race is set for 9 a.m. (CT), followed by the men's 10K race at 10 a.m. At last year's regional, the Moccasins qualified both teams for the national championship.

MEN WIN 11TH STRAIGHT, WOMEN SECOND IN SSC MEET

SAINT LEO - With all five scoring runners finishing in the top ten, the Moccasin men's cross country team continued its dominance in the Sunshine State Conference, winning its 11th consecutive conference crown Saturday at Saint Leo. Coach Rick Moody's squad scored 26 points. Tampa was second with 42.

FSC's Luke Beevor, a transfer from Florida State, was the men's individual winner. The 6-10 senior from Luton, England ran the 8K course in 26:21. After Tampa's top two runners finished second and third, FSC claimed the next three spots with Lief Thomason (26:42), Ben Martucci (26:43) and Scott Mackley (26:48). William Koeppel completed the Mocs' scorers with a 10th-place finish in 27:14.

In the women's meet, the defending champion Moccasins finished second behind Tampa, but did continue one streak, marking the 12th straight year they have finished no worse than second in the SSC meet. They have won it six times. Led by individual winner Laura Woznicki, Tampa claimed five of the top six places to score 18 points. The Moccasins' Carolyne Kwambai prevented a Tampa sweep of the top five spots by finishing third in a time of 22:55 over the 6K course. Woznicki's winning time was 21:39.

FSC placed two other runners in the top ten, with Danielle Shimer placing eighth (23:39) and Kelsey Dunn placing ninth (23:44), to finish with 53 points. Completing the FSC scorers were Ali Gardino in 16th (25:11) and Krystal Bemman in 17th (25:35).

SSC Men's Cross Country Championship at Saint Leo

1. Florida Southern 26
2. Tampa 42
3. Nova Southeastern 68
4. Florida Tech 107
5. Saint Leo 152
6. Rollins 158

Top Ten Individuals - 8K
1. Luke Beevor, FSC - 26:21
2. Tony Nicolosi, UT - 26:29
3. David Forry, UT - 26:36
4. Lief Thomason, FSC - 26:42
5. Ben Martucci, FSC - 26:43
6. Scott Mackley, FSC - 26:48
7. Eskender Abdalla, NSU - 26:54
8. Chris Catanach, UT - 27:03
9. Myles Garza, FT - 27:08
10. William Koeppel, FSC - 27:14

SSC Women's Cross Country Championship at Saint Leo
1. Tampa 18
2. Florida Southern 53
3. Nova Southeastern 84
4. Florida Tech 92
5. Rollins 141
6. Saint Leo 184

Top Ten Individuals - 6K
1. Laura Woznicki, UT - 21:39
2. Jessica Forrester, UT - 22:22
3. Carolyne Kwambai, FSC - 22:55
4. Paige Williams, UT - 23:19
5. Alysha Duffy, UT - 23:19
6. Julia Vola, UT - 23:21
7. Carolyn Horst, FT - 23:33
8. Danielle Shimer, FSC - 23:39
9. Kelsey Dunn, FSC - 23:44
10. Michelle Gabrielle, UT - 23:47

WOMEN 29TH, MEN 25TH AT DISNEY CLASSIC

LAKE BUENA VISTA - With coach Rick Moody resting most of his top runners, the Moccasins finished 29th (women) and 25th (men) at Saturday's Disney Classic at Lake Buena Vista. Leading FSC's women was Ali Gardino, who finished 95th in 20:22.88 over the 5K course. She was followed by Callie Ramsey in 137th place with a time of 21:12.90. Jillian Swartz was 187th in 22:15.96. Amanda Germ was 188th in 22:16.72. Karys Whitehead was 217th in 23:04.62. Joanna Guglielmo was 233rd in 23:32.80. Forty-four teams and 366 runners took part in the women's meet.

FSC's men were led by Daniel Dunn, who was 118th in 28:34.29 over the 8K course. John Blackburn was 124th in 28:44.71. Tyler Baldwin was 129th in 28:54.37. Marcus Duffy was 137th in 29:03.52. Charlie Fanning was 179th in 30:24.36. Brandon Lewis was 247th in 36:41.41. There were 41 teams and 327 runners in the men's meet.

The Moccasins are idle until Oct. 20, when they will look to defend their Sunshine State Conference championships in the SSC meet at Saint Leo.

WOMEN 22ND, MEN 26TH AT LOUISVILLE MEET

LOUISVILLE, KY - The Moccasin cross country teams participated in one of the nation's largest meets Saturday - the Greater Louisville Classic in Louisville, Ky. The men's meet featured 36 teams, 22 of them Division I, and over 300 runners. The women's meet had 28 teams, 20 of them Division I, and almost 250 runners. FSC's women placed 22nd with 581 points. Carolyne Kwambai led the Lady Mocs with a 73rd-place finish in 19:09.64 over the 5K course. Danielle Shimer was 103^rd in 19:31.13. Kelsey Dunn was 114^th in 19:39.35. Krystal Bemman was 141^st in 20:17.91. Ali Gardino was 150^th in 20:35.91.

FSC's men placed 26th with 751 points. Ben Martucci was the Mocs' top runner, finishing 137th in a time of 26:19.15 over the 8K course. Luke Beevor, running in his first FSC meet, was 138^th in 26:20.24. Scott Mackley, also running in his first meet of the season, was 145^th in 26:23.34. Lief Thomason placed 165^th in 26:42.76 and Will Koeppel was 166^th in 26:43.29.

The Moccasins will run next Saturday in the Disney Classic at Lake Buena Vista.

WOMEN 5TH, MEN 8TH AT FSU MEET

TALLAHASSEE - At Saturday's Florida State Invitational Cross Country Meet in Tallahassee, the Moccasin women placed fifth and the men placed eighth. Florida State won the women's meet with 31 points, followed by Tampa (49), North Florida (98), Florida Atlantic (132) and FSC (143) in the 10-team field. In the eight-team men's meet, FSC coach Rick Moody did not run his top seven runners to keep them fresh for next Saturday's Greater Louisville Classic. North Florida won the men's meet with 68 points. Tampa was second with 72. FSC had 205.

Carolyne Kwambai was the Moccasins' top finisher in the women's meet, placing 17th in a time of 19:28.54 over the 5K course. Kelsey Dunn was 19th in 19:35.46. Danielle Shimer was 29th in 19:57.34. Ali Gardino was 37th in 20:36.00. Krystal Bemman was 41st in 20:40.36. Callie Ramsay was 43rd in 20:53.64 and Jillian Swartz was 76th in 21:49.63.

John Blackburn was the top finisher for the FSC men, placing 31st in a time of 28:58.50 over the 8K course. Charlie Fanning was 40th in 29:19.83. Tyler Baldwin was 41st in 29:32.15. Marcus Duffy was 42nd in 29:33.08 and Brandon Lewis was 51st in 35:54.66.

The Moccasins compete in the Greater Louisville Classic at Louisville, Ky., next Saturday.

MOCCASINS FINISH SECOND IN FIRST MEET OF 2007

DOVER – The University of Tampa took four of the top five spots to claim the women’s team title, while Carolyne Kwambai and Kelsey Dunn helped Florida Southern place second at the University of Tampa Early Bird Classic.

The first three runners across the finish line were all Tampa Spartans, led by Laura Woznicki who set the pace in the 5K race with a time of 18:10. Jessica Forrester was the only other runner within a minute of Woznicki.

Kwambai, the Mocs’ top returning women’s runner, was fourth with a time of 19:15 and Dunn was eighth at 19:51 in her first college race. The Spartans’ fifth runner came in just two seconds behind Dunn though, clinching the victory for Tampa.

After that, Florida Southern was in a battle with Embry-Riddle for second, and after each school’s top three runners had finished, the Mocs were ahead only 29-30. However, Ali Gardino (21:18) and Callie Ramsay (21:29) crossed the line back-to-back in 22^nd and 23^rd place respectively, securing second place for the Moccasins in their first meet under new head coach Rick Moody.

The Moccasins return just three runners from last year’s Sunshine State Conference championship team that also qualified for the national championships. Kwambai, Danielle Shimer (18^th place, 20:46), and Gardino were all among the Florida Southern counters while seven freshmen filled the other spots on Friday.

Florida Southern’s next meet is Saturday, September 22, at the Florida Intercollegiate in Tallahassee.

	TEAM STANDINGS
1.	Tampa	20
2.	Florida Southern	70
3.	Embry-Riddle	84
4.	Nova Southeastern	120
5.	Florida Tech	140
6.	Warner Southern	155
7.	Pasco-Hernando CC	173
8.	Flagler	237
9.	Rollins	240
10.	Palm Beach Atlantic	257
11.	Saint Leo	310
12.	Johnson & Wales	348
13.	Florida College	--
14.	St Thomas	--

	FLORIDA SOUTHERN RUNNERS	(Pts) Time
4.	Kwambai, Carolyne - FSC	(4)19:15.00
8.	Dunn, Kelsey - FSC	(8)19:51.00
18.	Shimer, Danielle - FSC	(17)20:46.00
22.	Gardino, Ali - FSC	(20)21:18.00
23.	Ramsay, Callie - FSC	(21)21:29.00
24.	Bemman, Krystal - FSC	(22)21:32.00
51.	Swartz, Jillian - FSC	(46)23:07.00
54.	Guglielmo, Joanna - FSC	(--)23:12.00
57.	Germ, Amanda - FSC	(--)23:26.00
64.	Whitehead, Karys - FSC	(--)24:02.00

* Florida Southern offers the opportunity for runners to compete intercollegiately in distance events in track. However, FSC does not compete in field events.