FORT JACKSON, S.C. - What a way to start the 2009 men's and women's cross country seasons for the Savannah College of Art and Design.
Both teams claimed Division II victories - team and individual - at Friday evening's (Sept. 4) Gamecock Invitational. It was the first time in the program's 11-year history that the Bees have accomplished that feat.
In the men's 5K race, the Bees bested four other teams to win the meet with 22 points, 40 points clear of second place Benedict University. For the Bees, it was the program's second-ever team title. Leading the way for the Bees was freshman Cesar Fernandez Lazaro, who won the Division II event and was the third fastest overall out of the 77 runners that competed with time of 15:37.73. It was Fernandez Lazaro's first individual title and the program's third overall.
SCAD had six other runners finish in the top 10 in Division II. Ben Harrison was second with a time of 16:27 while John Sutherland was fifth in a time of 16:56. Ed McDaniel placed sixth (16:57) followed by Joe Housel (eighth, 17:10), Patrick Cooley (ninth, 17:24), Nick Curtis (10th, 17:48), Carl Dominique (12th, 18:28) and Dillan Brinlee (16th, 19:29).
The women claimed their ninth team title as they topped five teams to win the Division II title with 23 points, 30 points better than the University of South Carolina at Aiken. Freshman Sarah Caskey won the 5K individual title with a time of 18:57, four seconds ahead of teammate Tracy Koch who set a personal-best time of 19:01. Caskey, who took home her first individual title and the program's 13th overall, finished 11th overall out of the 97 runners in the race.
Cara Martin finished in third place for the Bees with a time of 20:27 followed by Heather Riniker (seventh, 21:11), Natalie Johnson (10th, 22:11), Tori Aboud (17th, 24:30), and Megan Merrifield (18th, 25:35).
The Bees return to the action Sept. 19 at 9:30 a.m. when they travel to Hardeeville, S.C., for the Sand Shark Invitational.