CLARK QUALIFIED FOR CROSS COUNTY

CLARK QUALIFIED FOR CROSS COUNTY NATIONALS; CLARION’S MEN TAKE 7^TH

SLIPPERY ROCK – Clarion University’s Chris Clark became the first Golden Eagles men’s cross country runner to qualify for the NCAA Division II Championships with a fifth-place finish at the East Regionals Saturday at Slippery Rock University.

Clark, who also earned his first All-Region selection, ran a time of 32:47.7, a little over a minute off the championship pace set by Lock Haven’s Ryan Blood.

The junior’s finish helped Clarion finish seventh at the Regional race for the second year in a row. The Eagles had 194 points.

Overall, the Golden Eagles had three runners in the scoring Top 30 with Bill Hermann finishing 24^th in the scoring (34:14.7) and Sean McFarland taking 25^th (34:19. 40). Josh Foulds was 69 in scoring place (34:43.05), C-L’s Travis Cyphert was 71^st (35:52.60), Jason South was 87^th (36:32.85) and Adam Sencak was 96^th (36:55.25).

ALL-REGION PERFORMER RICHARDS LEADS CLARION WOMEN TO SIXTH PLACE FINISH

Behind an All-Region 11^th place finish by Erin Richard, the Clarion women’s cross country team finished in sixth place at the East Region meet Saturday at Slippery Rock with 154 points.

Richard ran a time of 23:44.60 for her best regional finish while helping the Golden Eagles to their best ending since taking sixth in 2003.

Tasha Wheatley added a 20^th place scoring finish for Clarion (24:05.8), while Kaycee Shaffer was 27^th (24:30.15), Caitlin Palko was 47^th (25:12.3), Kate Ehrensberger was 49^th (25:16.2), Meaghan Conroy 53^rd (25:21.2) and Autumn Shaffer 60^th (25:34.35).

NOTES – Clark’s fifth place finish was the highest for a Clarion men’s runner in a regional competition since Jim Snyder was second in the NCAA East Region in 1986 in a misdirected race that was later considered a no contest. Prior to that, George Drushel was fourth at the 1982 NAIA District 18 meet … Clark will now compete in the Division II nationals in Pensacola, Fla., Nov. 18 … Richard is Clarion’s first All-Region women’s runner since Melissa Terwilliger was sixth in 2004 … Clarion’s best finish for the women’s team was in 2002 when it finished second and qualified for the NCAA Division II national championship for the first time in school history … Clarion’s men’s team was third at PSAC’s this season behind All-PSAC performances by Clark (3^rd), Herrmann (14^th) and McFarland (15^th) … The Eagles women’s team was 7^th at PSAC behind an All-PSAC performance by Wheatley (5^th). Richard didn’t run at PSAC’s … Lock Haven won the men’s Regional title while Kutztown won the women’s Region title.