Bees End Eagles' Reign, Staker Wins Women's Title
Justin Jarrett
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HARDEEVILLE, S.C. — No. 23 SCAD Savannah ended Embry-Riddle's seven-year reign Saturday, winning the women's team title at the Sun Conference Cross Country Championships on the University of South Carolina Beaufort's home course.
Embry-Riddle senior Ellie Staker repeated as the individual champion with a time of 17:55 on the 5K women's course, but SCAD runners claimed three of the next four spots and the Bees placed five in the top 13 overall to claim the league's automatic berth in the NAIA National Championships in Lawrence, Kan.
Host USCB was third in the team standings, followed by Southeastern and Webber International.
Staker claimed one of five individual bids to nationals and will be joined by USCB's Joyce Miller (18:24) and Melissa Carder (19:06) and Embry-Riddle's Aleiyah Ross and Martina Tafoya.
Staker, Miller, Carder and Ross joined the SCAD trio of Jessy Scarpone (18:11), Melanie Novack (18:15) and Hannah Lieberman (18:35) on the All-Sun Conference first team. Tafoya heads up the second team and is joined by Ave Maria's Lauren Dunleavy (19:35), Webber International's Lauren Nygren (19:44), Embry-Riddle's Marina Levine (19:45), Southeastern's Anna Ahrens (19:51), and SCAD's Sally Francis (19:40) and Alicia Millman (19:49).
SCAD's Patrick Reagan claimed Coach of the Year honors, while Staker was named the Runner of the Year and Scarpone was tabbed Newcomer of the Year.
Cynthia Melendez-Flynn of Southeastern was selected as the conference's Champion of Character award winner. She has been active in the community, volunteering with a homeless outreach through St. Joseph’s Catholic Church, The Will to Train, Florida Baptist Children’s Home, and Heritage Christian Counseling.
Melendez-Flynn has worked as a marketing and public relations intern for Linda Marie Weddings and Events and is a certified lifeguard, working at SeaWorld and the Southeastern University Aquatics Center. Melendez-Flynn, a senior from Venis, Fla., has maintained a 3.49 GPA and serves as the team's captain.
“Cynthia has been a huge blessing to our team this season in her role as captain," Southeastern coach Paul Kurtz said. "She is always looking for ways to bring the ladies team together to build team unity. She is always looking to help those around her."