Oct. 31, 2008

2008 ACC Cross Country Championships Central

Chapel Hill will serve as the site of the first Atlantic Coast Conference Championship of the 2008-09 season on Saturday when the Tar Heels host the 2008 Cross Country ACC Championships. The women will take to the Ranson-Hamrick Cross Country Course first at 10 a.m. in the 31st annual 6K race before the men tackle the 8K course for the 55th time at 11 a.m. Virginia captured the men's title in 2007, while Florida State claimed the women's title.

The Tar Heel men placed 10th overall a year ago as Alex Ray paced the Tar Heels with a 22nd place finish with 2008 team members Ian Bracy and Brock Baker finishing back-to-back in 52nd and 53rd place. Tristram Thomas finished fourth for the Tar Heels in 57th place before Zack Dawson closed out the scoring with a 62nd place finish. The 10th place finish was a step back for Carolina after posting consecutive eighth place finishes in 2005 and 2006. The men have won nine team titles in school history with the last coming in 1985. The Tar Heels lead the ACC in individual champions with 14 in the previous 54 races with John Cline being the most recent winner in 1997.

Senior Brie Felnagle will be looking for her fourth consecutive All-ACC honor on Saturday to join the ranks of Karen Godlock (1993-96) and Olympic medalist Shalane Flanagan (2000-03) to accomplish the feat. Felnagle finished third a year ago behind the individual winner Susan Kuijken and Virginia's four-time All-ACC selection Emily Harrison. The Tacoma, Wash. native, enters with the third-best 6K time on the season of 20:02.40 and will be searching for the first Carolina title since Flanagan claimed her fourth-consecutive title in 2003. The Tar Heels will be looking for another contribution from junior Lauren Holesh who has positioned herself as a potential All-ACC selection as she enters Saturday's race with the fifth-fastest 6K time of the year at 20:36.00.

A year ago, Felnagle finished third overall before Megan Kaltenbach joined her on the All-ACC team with a 10th place finish, with Addie Bracy finishing in 22nd place. Current senior Morgan Stengel crossed the line for 35th overall and fourth among the Tar Heel contingent before current sophomore Courtlin LaReau closed out the scoring with a 48th place finish. The Tar Heel women have claimed three team titles with the last coming in 2003 when Carolina edged out NC State by four points on the back of Flanagan's final individual title.