Nov. 1, 2008

MACON, Ga. - Mackenzie Howe placed second at the Atlantic Sun Conference Championships in Macon, Ga., but the Owls could not dethrone Belmont, finishing third on Saturday, November 1.

"We expected Mackenzie to be at the top and she was," Head Coach Stan Sims said. "She has proved that she is one of the top runners in the conference."

Howe finished the 5k race with a time of 17:58.46, behind Belmont's Brittany Thune. Soibhan Wolcott was not far behind Howe, placing fifth with a time of 18:17.57, followed by Kristen Gibson in seventh (18:25.53), Caitlin German in 25th (19:09.53), Lorena Jaime in 53rd (20:42.79), and Katie Charles in 59th (21:09.19).

"I felt good the whole race, but didn't have quite enough in the end to out kick Brittney," Howe said. "She is a great runner and knows how to run smart.

"Kristen and Soibhan had an outstanding race today as well as the other girls. We just went out there, did our thing, and I think it turned out pretty good."

The Owls had three individuals named to the All Conference First Team, including Howe, Wolcott, and Gibson. While the selection was Gibson's first, Howe was also named First Team All Conference in 2007, while also taking home All-Freshman honors that season. Wolcott was honored by the conference in 2006 with her selection to the All-Freshman team.

"It's always an honor to get any type of award," Howe said. "But it makes it even more special when you get it after working hard for it. Being named to the All Conference team makes all the hard work worth it."

Today's meet concludes the 2008 Cross Country Season. However, all of the runners will be back in action when the Indoor track season kicks off on January 9 with the Clemson Invitational in Clemson, SC.

Individual Results
2. Mackenzie Howe -17:58.46
5. Soibhan Wolcott -18:17.57
7. Kristen Gibson -18:25.53
25. Caitlin German -19:09.53
53. Lorena Jaime -20:42.79
59. Katie Charles -21:09.19

Team Results
1. Belmont University
2. Jacksonville University
3. Kennesaw State University
4. Lipscomb University
5. Campbell University
6. University of North Florida
7. USC-Upstate
8. East Tennessee State University
9. Florida Gulf Coast University
10. Stetson University
11. Mercer University