Flanagan Wins Third Straight NCAA District III Championship Crown
Nov. 16, 2002
Chapel Hill, N.C. -- The University of North Carolina men's and women's cross country teams competed at the NCAA District III Championship this morning in Greenville, N.C. The Tar Heel women finished fifth out of 30 teams behind Shalane Flanagan's third consecutive regional championship. Flanagan finished first with a time of 19:17.0 on the Lake Kristi course, becoming the first UNC runner to win three straight NCAA Regional titles. The ACC swept the top five in the women's race with Wake Forest (76) and NC State (83) gaining the automatic bids to the NCAA Championship on November 25, in Terre Haute, Ind. The next three were Virginia (93), Duke (98) and North Carolina (114). Erin Donohue placed 15th for the Tar Heels with a time of 20:49.1. Alice Schmidt finished the 6K race in 24th place with a time of 21:02.3. Jessica Perry crossed the finish line in 25th place (21:03.0), while teammate Liz Awtrey finished 49th (21:33.8). Cassie King and Bobbie Munson were the final Tar Heel competitors with times of 21:38.4 (54th) and 22:12.2 (79th). On the men's side, the Tar Heels only competed with four individuals and didn't tally a team score. NC State captured the crown with 66 points, followed by William & Mary (77), Duke (115), Virginia (135) and Clemson (149), rounding out the top five. NC State and William & Mary receive the NCAA bids to the championship. Brian McGovern was the top finisher for the Tar Heels with a 23rd-place finish (30:47.3). Robert Borbet ended the competition with a time of 31:40.2, good enough for 52nd place. Matt Daly finished the 8K race in 112th place (33:09.2) and Rob Robertson was the final runner for the Heels finishing 128th (33:39.1).
The top four individuals on teams that didn't finish in the top two will also qualify for the championship next week. UNC's women's cross country team will hope to receive an at-large bid from the NCAA committee. Flanagan receives an automatic invitation to the NCAA Championship in nine days.
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