Concord Turns Attention to MEC Championship

Live Video

ATHENS, W.Va. – The Concord University men's and women's cross country teams race at the Mountain East Conference Championship Saturday morning at the Crispin Golf Course at Oglebay Resort in Wheeling, West Virginia.

SCHEDULE
9:30 a.m. – Men's 8,000-meter race
10:30 a.m. – Women's 6,000-meter race

LIVE COVERAGE
The Mountain East Conference and Video Productions will have live video of the races.

Live Video

LAST TIME OUT
CU closed the regular season at the Concord Alumni Invite as both the men's and women's teams won the team titles. The Concord men's team sored 23 points to best Davis & Elkins by nine points. Sophomore Braden Ward finished third and picked up MEC Athlete of the Week honors in the process. Ward ran 25:56 which was one of the top five times all-time for CU at Pipestem State Park. Senior Logan Zuchelli finished fourth with a time of 26:09. Senior Ethan Board (seventh/26:25), junior Alex Irvin (eighth/26:30) and sophomore Andrew Tickle (12^th/26:39) rounded out the scoring runners for the Mountain Lions.

The Concord women won by a comfortable 25 points as they collectively scored 17 points. Senior Madison Cornett was strong in her win—the only athlete to break 20 minutes on the 5,000-meter course with a showing of 19:53. Junior Katy Walkup was the runner-up with a time of 20:02. Sophomores Sara Turner (21:18) and Charlotte McGinnis (21:32) were fourth and fifth. And fellow sophomore Abbey Londeree (21:47) placed eighth. Sophomore Piper Doughton just missed the top 10, finishing 11^th.

MEC CHAMPIONSHIP NOTES
The Concord men have finished in the top three at the MEC Championship every year since 2013. The Mountain Lions have two returning all-conference runners in Ward and Zuchelli. Zuchelli was the MEC Freshman of the Year in 2021 and was All-MEC First Team the same season. The Fairmont, West Virginia native has been All-MEC Second Team each of the last two years. Ward was 16^th in 2023 to earn All-MEC Second Team. CU has had at least three all-conference finishers (top 20) in 10 of the last 11 years. Board just missed the top 20 last season by placing 22^nd.

From a team standpoint, Concord, Charleston and Davis & Elkins are expected to battle for the team title with West Virginia Wesleyan and West Liberty not far behind. CU, UC and Davis & Elkins are three of the top four teams in the Atlantic Region as well.

Head coach Mike Cox has named this ten for his lineup Saturday morning: Board, freshman Brandon Canaday, sophomore Bramley Childress, freshman Reese Hickey, Irvin, sophomore AJ Skeens, Tickle, Ward, senior Zach Wilson and Zuchelli.  

The CU women have finished in the top three at the MEC Championship in eight of the last nine seasons and has a streak of placing third in four straight conference championship meets. Walkup has been All-MEC Second Team in each of her first two MEC Championships and will look to improve upon a 19^th-place finish from last season. Cornett moved into the top 20 last year to earn All-MEC Second Team after finishing 17^th. McGinnis was 32^nd last fall. As far as the team race, Davis & Elkins and Charleston are the favorites with Concord and West Virginia Wesleyan chasing.

The lineup for Concord will be freshman Larah Blevins, Cornett, senior Kaylee Dixon, Doughton, senior Emma Jenkins, freshman Kate Kelly, Londeree, McGinnis, Turner and Walkup.