Tampa Takes Ninth Straight NCAA South Region Title
The Spartans secured the South Region crown in Saint Leo, Fla.
SAINT LEO, Fla. - The University of Tampa women's cross country team won its ninth consecutive NCAA South Regional, running to the top prize at The Abbey Course.
The men's and women's races were hosted by Saint Leo University and the Tampa Bay Sports Commission, and included a women's 6K and men's 10K.
Tampa's women scored 51 total points, edging host and Sunshine State Conference opponent Saint Leo, who tallied 70. Union (Tenn.) University finished third to earn a trip to the 2015 NCAA Championships.
Senior Chantalle Blundell finished fifth to lead the Spartans, as she was timed at 22:33.98. Juli Boehm was seventh (22:36.70), Claudia Cancello was 10th (22:53.38), Danielle Kissel was 14th (23:08.24) and Elaina Cancello was 15th (23:15.47)to make up the Spartans' top five. Senior Aimee Epps finished 27th (23:47.61) while sophomore Aislinn Sroczynski (49th, 24:41.48) also ran for UT.
Tampa also competed in men's action, but did not receive a team score as two runners retired early from the race. Saint Leo (78), Lee, Tenn. (85), and Nova Southeastern (110) made up the men's top three teams.
Geremy DeWitt led UT's men, finishing the 10K in 34:57.76 for a 29th-place effort.
Tampa's women will now advance to represent the South Region at the 2015 NCAA Division II Championships, which is scheduled for Saturday, November 21 in Joplin, Mo.
Fans may follow University of Tampa athletics on Twitter and Instagram (@tampaspartans) and Facebook (www.facebook.com/tampaspartans). UT also offers a free text messaging service that sends text alerts following all Spartan events. To sign up, please register at www.tampaspartans.com.