Embry-Riddle Claims 2011 Sun Conference Championship Crown
AVE MARIA, Fla. - The NAIA No. 20 Embry-Riddle Women's Cross Country team placed six runners in the top 10 and three in the top five to claim their sixth consecutive Sun Conference Cross Country Championship on Saturday morning on the campus of Ave Maria University. The Eagles will receive an automatic bid to the 2011 NAIA National Championships on Nov. 19 in Vancouver, Wash. The women's cross country team joins the men's cross country team to be the first 2011 ERAU squads to earn bids to their respective national championships.
For the first time this season a new Eagle finished first for the Blue and Gold as junior Karina Coelho raced to a 19:34.59 mark, good for second overall. SCAD Savannah's Melanie Novack won the eight-team event in 19:26.98.
Coelho was followed closely by senior Julie Mayfield (19:45.11) and sophomore Ellie Staker (19:58.89). Mayfield finished third overall in the race, a one-spot improvement from her fourth-place finish in 2010. Staker, who had been the first Eagle finisher in all six of ERAU's previous meets, finished in fifth place overall, three places better than her finish last season.
Rounding out the Eagle scorers were Baleigh Hyatt and Nicole Bonk. Hyatt's 20:34.27 time was good for seventh overall, it marked the third race in a row that the senior from Titusville, Fla. was the fourth Eagle finisher. Bonk was the ninth overall finisher in 20:50.99, her second-best overall finish of the year.
The Eagles tallied 26 total points for their team title, SCAD Savannah (38), Webber International (97), Warner (98) and South Carolina-Beaufort (112) rounded out the top five. St. Thomas (189) finished sixth, while seventh and eighth places went to Northwood (212) and Florida Memorial (226).
First Team All-Conference
Melanie Novack, SCAD Savannah
Karina Coelho, Embry-Riddle
Julie Mayfield, Embry-Riddle
Hannah Lieberman, SCAD Savannah
Ellie Staker, Embry-Riddle
Megan O'Boyle, SCAD Savannah
Baleigh Hyatt, Embry-Riddle
Second Team All-Conference
Selena Hutson, South Carolina-Beaufort
Nicole Bonk, Embry-Riddle
Aleiyah Ross, Embry-Riddle
Kaylea Spurlin, Warner
Maxime Copley, Warner
Sarah Caskey, SCAD Savannah
Heather Riniker, SCAD Savannah
Runner of the Year
Melanie Novack, SCAD Savannah
Newcomer of the Year
Melanie Novack, SCAD Savannah
Coach of the Year
Mike Rosolino
Champion of Character
Sarah Turrubiate, South Carolina-Beaufort