SFA men, Lamar women repeat as SLC cross country champs

NATCHITOCHES — Stephen F. Austin's men continued their dominance with a fifth straight Southland Conference Cross Country Championship title Monday morning while the Lamar women won their second straight SLC crown as the 11 conference members competed at Northwestern State's Demon Hills Golf Course.


The meet was moved from Beaumont, Texas, to Natchitoches because of the impact of Hurricane Rita in southeast Texas. Northwestern played host to the SLC Championships for the fourth time in the last eight years.


The host teams were not contenders for the team titles, but the Lady Demons did lead the five Louisiana-based SLC members in the team standings, trailing the six Texas teams. In the men's standings, McNeese State was the top Louisiana team, taking third place, with Northwestern ranking third among state schools with ninth place overall.


The men's individual champion was SFA junior Cody Clark, who ran the hilly 8,000 meter course in 25:34, 12 seconds ahead of the runner-up. Competing in ideal 70 degree weather conditions, SFA's Ashley Monteau repeated as women's individual champion. The junior outdistanced the field with a 20:55 time that was a minute better than the second-place runner.


Lamar's women won with 26 points, followed by Stephen F. Austin (49), Texas-Arlington (76), Sam Houston State (98), Texas-San Antonio (101), Texas State (184), Northwestern (198), Louisiana-Monroe (216), Southeastern (239), McNeese (296) and Nicholls State (no score, did not finish five runners).


In the men's standings, SFA won with 28 points, topping Sam Houston State (59), McNeese (83), Texas Sate (112), UTA (139), Lamar (144), UTSA (149), Southeastern (215), Northwestern (217), ULM (267) and Nicholls (no score).


Leading the Lady Demons was senior co-captain Abby Salomon (32nd, 24:31) and senior Ruth Kinhanjui (34h, 24:40). Senior co-captain Margeaux Fisher was 38th (25:01), followed on the NSU scorecard by freshman Ashley Terrell (40th, 25:16) and junior Lesley Lambert (54th, 26:48). Also running for Northwestern was freshman Laurie Campbell (61st, 29:21).


The Northwestern men were paced by the 28th place finish of freshman Chris Pearson (27:28), with sophomore Stephen Kemei (33rd, 27:42), sophomore Gideon Rotich (48th, 29:31), junior Aaron Heflin (53rd, 30:13) and junior Phillip Hattaway (55th, 31:20) completing the scorecard. Sophomore Matt Talley didn't score with his 33:51 time for 58th overall.