Both the men's and women's cross country teams turned in strong performances at the Gulf Coast Stampede in Pensacola, Fla., with the women earning first place and the men finishing in second.
The meet was relatively small, with only seven teams in attendance – all from southeastern schools at varying levels of competition. The Eagles ran against Division I Kennesaw State University (Ga.), NAIA schools Auburn University at Montgomery (Ala.), Belhaven University (Miss.) and Point University (Ga.), and Division II schools Harding University (Ark.) and host University of West Florida. The course itself, described by Emory Head Coach John Curtin as sandy and slow, was not particularly conducive to fast times.
Regardless, the women's team finished on top thanks to their consistency. Four of the top six finishers in the women's race were Eagles, with senior Tamara Surtees leading the way in second place with a 5K time of 18:51. Three of her teammates finished close behind: junior Marissa Gogniat clocked in at 18:57, senior Stephanie Crane finished at 19:04 and senior Elise Viox finished with a time of 19:15. These times were good for third, fifth and sixth place, respectively.
"Elise Viox ran very well," Curtin said. "She ran a personal best time. I felt really happy for her."
Rounding out the scorers for the women's side was freshman Halle Markel, who finished 10th overall. Not far behind were sophomore Sophie Cemaj, who finished 11th, and freshman Erica Fischer, who narrowly beat out teammate and fellow freshman Gabrielle Stravach for 13th place.
With seven runners in the top 13, Emory won by a landslide, totaling 25 points. The next-lowest total was Harding with 45, while West Florida came in third with 79.
The men's side was nearly as impressive. Junior Lukas Mees was the top finisher for the Eagles, crossing the finish line with an 8K time of 26:28. It was a season-best time for Mees, who finished in fourth place overall.
"Lukas Mees looked really strong," Curtin said. "I think his performance was notable. He's been coming back this year from a pretty serious illness."
Sophomore Grant Murphy was next, finishing in ninth with a time of 26:46. Senior Tyler Cooke was 11th with a time of 26:55.
Emory totaled just 45 points in the men's meet, which was good for second place behind Harding, whose runners totaled 29 points. Host West Florida once again finished third with a combined 71 points.
Eagles Impress at Stampede
Senior runner Tyler Cooke (left) leads a group of Eagles to the finish line. Cooke finished 11th overall in the Gulf Coast Stampede. / Photo courtesy of Emory Athletics
"I think for the most part we were pleased," Curtin said. "We thought we were going to get a little better competition than we did, but I think our kids made the most of it."
Success is not new to the Eagles. The women's team is currently ranked first in the region and 29th in the nation among Division III teams, while the men's team is ranked third in the region.
Both teams have returned home to prepare for the JSU Foothills Invitational in Jacksonville, Ala. on Oct. 4, and the looming University Athletic Association (UAA) Championship meet, which is just over a month away. With meets getting more and more competitive as the season progresses, the Eagles are getting a better sense for what they'll be facing at the conference championship.
"We're just starting to see meaningful performances from teams around the UAA," Curtin said. "Early-season performances are rather guarded, and people aren't running their full teams. ... We're starting to get a sense of what it's gonna take."
– By Ryan Smith, Associate Editor
