DURANT, OKLA. – For the third straight season and the fifth in the last six years, the East Central University men's cross country team claimed the Great American Conference Championship title.
GAC Men's Results I
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The Tigers finished with 29 total points, 21 less than Harding in second place (50). Southern Arkansas was third (63), Southern Nazarene fourth (87), Northwestern fifth (166) and Arkansas-Monticello sixth (170).
"Today was great day for ECU cross country," said head coach
Steve Sawyer. "We set winning a GAC title as as one of our team goals at the beginning of the year and it was nice to see both teams claim the titles."
Junior
Kevin Matthews claimed the GAC Runner of the Year title, finishing first individually in a career-best time of 24:51.17 in the 8K race. Matthews sprinted the last 30 yards and overtook SAU's Doug Palmer in the final 50 feet to claim first.
Matthews, along with sophomore
Cole Montgomery, senior
Adrian Guevara and senior
Richard Mora were all named to the All-GAC first team, while sophomore
Larry Filer was an All-GAC Second Team selections.
Montgomery finished fourth in a time of 25:13.41, Guevara fifth (25:20.40), Mora seventh (25:28.36) and Filer 12
th (25:47.10) for those to score points for ECU.
Freshman
Tommy Grebe finished 18
th (26:41.67), freshman Conrad Corbin 20
th (27:01.78), junior
Conrad Carbaugh 26
th (27:06.69), senior
Noel Figueroa 27
th (27:08.13) and junior
Caleb Biles 32
nd (27:32.44) also represented the Tigers.
Sawyer was also named the GAC Coach of the Year for both the men's and women's teams.
Figueroa was also honored with the Crafton Tull Distinguished Scholar award, for those participating in the championship with a 3.70 GPA or higher who has completed at least 70 hours.
The Tigers will now have two weeks off to get ready for the 2016 NCAA Regional in Sioux Falls, S.D., Saturday, Nov. 5.
