CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA. -- The 14th-ranked Furman women's cross country team finished second at the 2019 NCAA Southeast Region Championship, while the 31st-ranked Paladin men turned in a fourth-place finish Friday at Panorama Farms in Charlottesville, Va.
As one of the top two teams at the meet, the Paladin women qualified automatically for the NCAA Championships, which will be held Nov. 23 in Terre Haute, Ind. Senior Ryan qualified automatically on the men's side by virtue of his third-place individual finish, while the Paladin men will learn on Saturday if they will receive one of the thirteen at-large bids to the national championship meet.
In the first race of the day, the Paladin women's team scored 83 points to place second out of 34 teams, tying the program's highest region finish. N.C. State won the region title with 48 points, giving the Wolfpack and the Paladins the region's two automatic bids. Virginia Tech finished third with 116 points.
Seniors Gabbi Jennings and Savannah Carnahan finished second and third, respectively, to pace the Paladins on the 6K course. Jennings finished as runner up with a time of 19:55.0, tying Furman's highest individual finish, while Carnahan matched her third-place finish from last year with a time of 20:02.5. Besides Jennings and Carnahan, Furman placed two additional athletes on the All-Southeast Region team, as junior Krissy Gear turned in a 12th-place finish and senior Emma Grace Hurley took 16th at 20:37.5.
Carnahan and Hurley earned all-region accolades for the fourth-consecutive year, while Jennings claimed her third-consecutive all-region citation.
Senior Grace Dwyer completed the Paladin scorers, placing 54th with a time of 21:29.0, while junior Emma Kuntz finished 57th after posting a time of 21:30.6. Junior Emily Lane crossed the line in 21:41.1 for 66th place.
The Furman men scored 152 points to finish fourth out of 35 teams. Virginia won the men's meet with 79 points, and Virginia Tech was second with 109 points to take the two automatic bids.
Adams paced the Paladins on the 10K course with a time of 29:28.7, finishing third and earning his third all-region citation. Senior Daniel Bernal also gained all-region honors for the second-consecutive year after placing 13th with a time of 30:22.7. Freshman David Ahlmeyer recorded a time of 31:05.3 for 41st place, and sophomore Cameron Ponder claimed 46th place at 31:08.9. Senior Jake Ogden completed the Furman scorers in 49th place with a time of 31:15.8.
Junior Trenton Mandato placed 78th with a time of 31:54.6, followed by freshman Ares Reading in 79th at 31:54.7.
"It was really a great day for the program," said Furman head coach Robert Gary. "Both teams have a good blend of upper and underclassmen, so we will be set up nicely for the future. The women ran a very strong race and upheld their ranking to earn another automatic qualification. We feel very confident about our chances for the men to receive an at-large team berth as we await tomorrow's official announcement."
The Paladin women are making their third-consecutive trip to the national championship meet. The women's race will begin at 11:15 a.m., followed by the men's race at 12:15 p.m.
Complete Furman Results
2019 NCAA Southeast Regional Championships
Women's 6K - 2nd out of 34 teams - 83 Points
2nd Gabbi Jennings 19:55.0
3rd Savannah Carnahan 20:02.5
12th Krissy Gear 20:29.0
16th Emma Grace Hurley 20:37.5
54th Grace Dwyer 21:29.0
57th Emma Kuntz 21:30.6
66th Emily Lane 21:41.1
Men's 10K - 4th out of 35 teams - 152 Points
3rd Ryan Adams 29:28.7
13th Daniel Bernal 30:22.7
41st David Ahlmeyer 31:05.3
46th Cameron Ponder 31:08.9
49th Jake Ogden 31:14.8
78th Trenton Mandato 31:54.6
79th Ares Reading 31:54.7
