LMU CROSS COUNTRY NEWS


LINCOLN MEMORIAL UNIVERSITY

OFFICE OF SPORTS INFORMATION

Sports Release                                                                                       October 21, 2006

Lady Railsplitters Finish Second at SAC Championship

BLACK MOUNTAIN, NC - On Saturday afternoon, the Lincoln Memorial University women's cross country team proved they are no strangers to stiff competition.  The Lady Railsplitters traveled to Black Mountain, North Carolina where they competed in their first ever South Atlantic Conference Cross Country Championship, finishing second only to North Carolina's Mars Hill College. (SAC Official Release)
 
On July 1, 2006, Lincoln Memorial made the move to the SAC after nearly fifteen years of membership in the Gulf South Conference, NCAA Division II's largest conference.  The moved raised questions by many who follow LMU athletics as to whether or not the women's cross country team could compete against some of the SAC's upper crust of women's cross country programs.
 
Saturday afternoon those concerns were answered and put to rest, as the Lincoln Memorial Women pushed SAC powerhouse Mars Hill College to the brink, finishing second as a team only fourteen points behind the 2006 champion Lady Lions.  Mars Hill finished with a final combined score of 53, while Lincoln Memorial (67) finished ahead of Wingate University (94), Carson-Newman College (110), Catawba College (133), Lenoir-Rhyne College (138), Tusculum College (158), Presbyterian College (183) and Newberry College (212).. 
 
LMU senior Cherie Kern (Knoxville, TN) led the point of the Lady Railsplitter attack as usual, finishing 6th overall, while teammate Emily Burke (Ewing, VA) rounded out the top-10.  Possibly the biggest suprise for Lincoln Memorial was the performance of dual sport athlete Helena Sokolova (Kosice, Slovakia).  A two-time LMU women's tennis All-American by trade, Sokolova ran one of her best races of the year to finish 14th to elevate the Lady Railsplitter's cause.  Jennifer Ely (Jonesville, VA) and Michelle Ratliff (Jonesborough, TN) also gave Lincoln Memorial a lift by finishing in #18 and #19 positions.  Diedre Ratliff (Jonesborough, TN), Kathleen Rollett (Bouge Chambalud, France), Heather Wice (Rutledge, TN) and Ginny Bumpus (Hendersonville, TN) finished 28th, 38th, 42nd and 62nd respectfully. 
 
With this weekend's South Atlantic Conference Championship now behind them, the Lady Railsplitters have finished 2nd, 1st and 2nd in their last three races, and have finished no further back in a field of teams then 5th all season.  The next opportunity to introduce Lincoln Memorial University women's cross country to schools in the southeaster half of the country will be October 27 in Brevard, North Carolina at the Brevard Invitational.  If the LMU women enter that race at their current pace, most of their competition may have a hard time seeing anything but their backside.

-LMU- 

For additional comments please contact,
Head Coach:  Brandon Gibbs
Phone:  (423) 869-6201