Alabama State Repeats as Cross Country Champions
SWAC.org
CLINTON, Miss. - Alabama State University women's cross country retained its cross country title from winning 2012 Southwestern Athletic Conference Championship on Monday at the Watson Cross Country Course of Choctaw Trails.
The Lady Hornets won their seventh title overall and third in the last five years repeating as this year's winners.
ASU had three runners finish in the top ten including two in the first five to cross the finish line. ASU scored 42 points with Mississippi Valley (77) finishing as the runner-up.
Alcorn State finished third (107), followed by Grambling State (110), Prairie View A&M (117), Texas Southern (150), Alabama A&M (159), Jackson State (200), Arkansas-Pine Bluff (219) and and Southern (232).
MVSU's Joyce Chumo captured the individual title for a consecutive year covering the 5K course in 17:44.79. Chumo was selected SWAC Cross Country Female Athlete of the Year. She finished close to one minute ahead of second-place finisher, Ninfa Barnard of Arkansas-Pine Bluff (18:15.39).
Artrailia LeSane (Alabama State) was third (18:52.17) and Kimberly Wedderburn (ASU) crossed the line in fourth (18:53.71). Winny Tauni (MVSU) rounded out the All-SWAC first-team with a time of 18:55.36.
Alabama State's Ritchie Beene was named SWAC Women's Cross Country Coach of the Year for a consecutive season.
Women's Awards
Athlete of the Year: Joyce Chumo - Mississippi Valley
Coach of the Year: Ritchie Beene - Alabama State
All-SWAC Cross Country First Team
Joyce Chumo - Mississippi Valley
Ninfa Barnard - Arkansas-Pine Bluff
Artrailia LeSane - Alabama State
Kimberly Wedderburn - Alabama State
Winny Tauni - Mississippi Valley
All-SWAC Cross Country Second Team
Condrea Collins - Alcorn State
Paige Rankin - Alabama State
Shaquina Phalo - Alabama A&M
Tieshia Alexander - Grambling State
Andrea Brown - Texas Southern