Press Release (PDF format)

Award Presentation Photos

GREENEVILLE, Tenn. --- Mars Hill College captured both the men's and women's team titles at the 2001 Food Lion South Atlantic Conference Cross Country championships Saturday morning at the Greene Valley Development Center. For both Mars Hill squads, it was their fifth consecutive SAC titles. The cross country championships are being held in conjunction with the Food Lion South Atlantic Conference Fall Sports Festival.

In the women's championship, the Lady Lions placed four runners in the top 10 as Mars Hill posted 36 points in defeating second place Carson-Newman College by 10. Host Tusculum College recorded their best SAC finish ever in third place with 93 points, while Lenoir-Rhyne College was fourth at 107. Wingate University (129) finished fifth, followed by Catawba College (142), Presbyterian College (149) and Newberry College (no score).

Stacy Mark led Mars Hill with a course record time of 19:49 to garner SAC Runner of the Year honors. Tusculum rookie Amanda Musick finished second with a time of 19:56 earning SAC Freshman of Year accolades. Joining Mark and Musick on the All-SAC First Team are Mars Hill's Mitzi Carr, Tusculum's Sue Lewis and the Carson-Newman trio of Nikki Kehn, Tina Schowiak and Jennifer Sauceman. The 2001 All-SAC Second Team consists of Nicki Hiemenga and Becca Pizzi of Mars Hill, Erin Coulter and Gayren Leonhardt of Lenoir-Rhyne, Carson-Newman's Jessica Brown, Wingate's Kelli Miller and Catawba's Rebecca DeFeo.

In the men's race, Mars Hill boasted four harriers in the top 10 as the Lions held off Carson-Newman by 11 points (37 to 48) to win their fifth straight conference crown. Catawba finished third with 88 points, followed by Wingate (101), Newberry (108), Presbyterian (126), Tusculum (184) and Lenoir-Rhyne (no score).

The 2001 SAC Runner of the Year and Freshman of the Year is Wingate's Mike Vidumsky who won the men's race with a time of 27:29.32, the second best time ever on the 8K course. Carson-Newman's Eric Malkowski finished second at 28:28.04, while defending SAC champion Jesse Howes of Catawb placed third with a time of 28:29.08. Rounding out the All-SAC First Team are Mars Hill's Rocky Oakes, Dustin Shinholser and Tim Townsend, along with Newberry's Matt Titus. The All-SAC Second Team includes Ben Jackson (MHC), Wes Jones (C-N), Daniel Julian (C-N), Ryan Jones (Wingate), James Spickard (C-N), Brandon Downey (Newberry) and Adam Stewart (L-R).

For the fourth straight year, Mars Hill's Mike Owens was named both the men and women's Conference Coach of the Year. He has won the award a total of five times for each sport.

The 2001 NCAA Division II Southeast Regionals will be held at Hagan Stone Park in Greensboro, N.C. on Saturday, November 3.