WINGATE, NC – Seniors Ivan Henderson and Andrea Liddell again led the Francis Marion University men's and women's cross country teams as the Patriots placed 22nd and 25th respectively at the 2019 NCAA Division II Southeast Region Championship Meets, held Saturday (Nov. 9).
The two races were held on the campus of Wingate University. Queens University of Charlotte captured both team titles.
In the women's race, Liddell posted a personal-best time for 6,000-meters of 24:51.9, shaving 16 seconds off her time at last year's NCAA regional. She finished in 85th position on Saturday.
The Manning native was followed by freshman Angela Kasitz (personal-best 26:11.1) in 110th place, senior Emma Driggers (27:55.6) in 151st, senior Alison Filer (29:17.0) in 165th, and senior Alexis Byers (31:24.7) in 174th.
The FMU women tallied a team score of 632 to finished 25th.
Driggers and Byers did not miss a race (24) over their four seasons as Patriots.
Kasitz had the opportunity to compete against her daughter Gillian, a member of the Queens' squad. Youth won over experience by almost three minutes.
Henderson finished the men's 10,000-meter race in 36:48.6 to finish in 117th position. Other FMU runners on Saturday included sophomore Parker Calvert in 128th position with a time of 37:41.9, sophomore Wyatt Witman (38:06.3) in 132nd, sophomore Christian England (38:24.0) in 136th, freshman Thomas Allen (40:14.3) in 147th, sophomore Anthony Melo (43:47.4) in 155th, and senior Robert Hahn (47:35.5) in 157th.
The Patriot men posted a 641 team score to place 22nd.
