Concord Goes Up Against Strong Field at Atlantic Regional Championship

Live Results - Live Video 

ATHENS, W.Va. – The Concord University men's and women's cross country teams compete at the NCAA Division II Atlantic Regional Championship Saturday morning at Lock Haven University.

SCHEDULE
10:30 a.m. – Men's 10,000-meter race
11:45 a.m. – Women's 6,000-meter race.

LIVE COVERAGE
The Lock Haven Sports Information Department will provide live video and live results of the meet.

Live Results
Live Video

LAST TIME OUT
The Mountain East Conference Championship was the last race for the Mountain Lions. The Concord men finished third with three athletes—senior Ethan Board, sophomore Braden Ward and senior Logan Zuchelli—earning All-MEC Second Team honors. Since 2013, CU has finished in the top three each year at the MEC Championship. Junior Alex Irvin was inside the top 25, finishing 24^th. The final scoring runner for the Mountain Lions was sophomore AJ Skenns (34^th).

Senior Madison Cornett was the leader for the Mountain Lions in the women's race as she picked up All-MEC Second Team for the second straight season by placing 20^th. Junior Katy Walkup just missed the top 20 and All-MEC honors as she finished 22^nd. The next three CU runners were junior Emma Jenkins (42^nd), sophomore Charlotte McGinnis (47^th) and sophomore Abbey Londeree (53^rd). As a team, Concord placed seventh.

ATLANTIC REGIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP NOTES
The top three teams in the men's and women's race advance to the NCAA Division II National Championship in California in two weeks. Additionally, the two highest finishers on non-advancing teams qualify for the national meet.

The CU men enter this weekend ranked seventh in the Atlantic Region in the latest release of the coaches' poll. Concord has been as high as fourth this season in the coaches' regional rankings. The Mountain Lions advanced to back-to-back national meets in 2021 and 2022 before finishing sixth last season. However, Zuchelli moved on as an individual after finishing eighth. Ward was in the top 40 as he completed the 10,000-meter course at LHU in 32:09. Since 2016, Concord has had at least one male athlete qualify for the NCAA Division II National Championship each year. The top teams in the field Saturday will be Charleston, Davis & Elkins and Shippensburg. Along with Concord, East Stroudsburg, IUP and Slippery Rock are the teams looking to slip into the top three.

The top individuals not racing for Charleston, D&E and Shippensburg include Ward and Zuchelli as well as IUP's Dan Gibney, Noah Bernarding of California (Pa.), Slippery Rock's Troy Hart, IUP's Mike Formica, Point Park's Luke McKenna, West Virginia Wesleyan's Anthony Sanders, Virginia Union's Franklin Kipchirchir and Fayetteville State's Derrick Kipchumba.

As for the Concord women, the Mountain Lions are seeking to build off three straight top-15 finishes in the Atlantic Region. Last season, Concord was 15^th after finishing 13^th and 12^th the two previous seasons. Cornett improved from a 72^nd-place showing in 2022 to finish 54^th last year. Walkup was in the top 80 last season by placing 78^th. The top three teams in the region are Davis & Elkins, Slippery Rock and Shippensburg. The next three are East Stroudsburg, Kutztown and Bloomsburg.

The top 25 in each race on Saturday will be recognized as All-Atlantic Region performers.