Eagles, Bett Claim Sun Conference Titles
Justin Jarrett
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HARDEEVILLE, S.C. — The 15th-ranked Embry-Riddle (Fla.) men's cross country team claimed their ninth consecutive team title at the Sun Conference Cross Country Championships on the University of South Carolina Beaufort's home course Saturday morning.
Junior Vincent Bett cruised to the individual title with a time of 24:57 in the 8K men's race, leading a pack of Eagles who claimed the top four spots as Embry-Riddle claimed the conference's lone automatic bid to the NAIA National Championships in Lawrence, Kan. Junior Alec Hernandez (25:08) was second, followed by freshman Paul McKenna (25:12) and senior Zach Kraus (25:14).
Junior Anthony Vecchio (25:28) of host USCB was fifth and claimed one of five individual berths to nationals, along with Northwood's Jacob Aplund (25:31), SCAD Savannah's Jonathan Riley (25:33) and Webber International's Felix Alfen (25:43) and Brandon Scott (25:58).
Vecchio, Aplund and Riley joined the Embry-Riddle quartet on the All-Sun Conference first team, while Alfen and Scott were joined on the second team by Webber International's Brennen Schmick, USCB's Nic O'Neill, and SCAD's Aesop Brown, Emanuel Krieg and Dillan Brinlee.
Webber International edged SCAD for second place in the team standings with Southeastern in fourth and Warner fifth.
Embry-Riddle's Mike Rosolino earned Coach of the Year honors, Bett was named Runner of the Year and McKenna was tabbed Newcomer of the Year.
Grant Forbis of Southeastern and Zachary Kraus of Embry-Riddle were selected as the 2013 Cross Country Champion of Character award winners.
Forbis, a senior from Fort Myers, Fla., holds a 3.82 GPA and serve as the team chaplain. He has served in numerous volunteer projects during his four years at Southeastern, including distributing food to the homeless, teaching children at Vacation Bible School, and volunteering more than 700 hours at Camp Sonshine mentoring young students.
In 2011, Forbis went on a mission’s trip to the Phillippines working with local churches. He is also involved in team service projects such as Literacy Night at a local elementary school and athletic field cleanup projects around the community.
“Grant is one of the most giving and caring students I have met here at Southeastern University and he works so hard at all the things he does. He has been an inspiration to his teammates and myself,” Southeastern coach Paul Kurtz said.
Kraus, a senior from New Milford, Conn., holds a 3.8 GPA and serves as the team's captain.
“Zach is the prototype for a student-athlete," Rosolino said. "As an athlete, he works hard to be the very best that he can be. Where he excels, though, is as a person. He is true servant-leader who leads by example. As our team captain he has kept the team tight-knit and motivated all season. Zach truly cares about his team, campus and community. He is the engine that drives our team.”