MOBILE, Ala. — The South Alabama men won the Sun Belt cross country championship Sunday at Battleship Memorial Park, led by a one-two finish from Christoph Graf and Michael Pienaar in the 8-kilometer race.
The title is the Jaguars’ first conference championship since 2006 and the eighth in program history.
Graf, Pienaar Lead the Way
The men’s race stayed close throughout, with Graf and Pienaar running in the lead pack. Graf won in 24 minutes, 26.6 seconds for his second individual victory of the season. His first came in his South Alabama debut at the Azalea City Classic on Sept. 13.
Pienaar crossed the line less than three seconds behind Graf, giving him a top-five finish in each of his three races this season.
Awards Sweep
South Alabama collected several of the meet’s major honors:
- Christoph Graf: Most Outstanding Performer and first-team All-Sun Belt
- Michael Pienaar: Sun Belt Freshman of the Year and first-team All-Sun Belt
- David Barnett: Sun Belt Coach of the Year
Junior Patrick Rohr placed 13th in 25:16.5 to earn third-team all-conference honors, the third straight year he has been named all-conference.
Rest of the Men’s Lineup
Robert Mann finished 18th in 25:38.3, and Joe Gratton was 19th, one second behind Mann. Justin Housley (28th), Daniel Carter (30th) and Buddy Soto (38th) also ran for the Jaguars.
Women Place Seventh
The South Alabama women finished seventh in the team standings in the 5-kilometer race held earlier in the day.
Nicole Durham led the women, placing 19th in 17:50.5. Ivy Chastain was 28th in 18:19.2. Ashley Heitling (41st), Alivia Bryars (44th), Joanna McCoy (45th), Shannen Weyer (47th), Kayla Wheeler (54th) and Kristin Parry (64th) also competed.
Next Up: NCAA South Region
The postseason continues Nov. 14 at the NCAA South Region Championships, hosted by Florida State in Tallahassee, Fla.
