Spartanburg - The postseason for NCAA cross country is officially off to a bang. This weekend, 26 of the best teams in the Southeast Region gathered at Milliken Arboretum in Spartanburg, South Carolina to try and run their way to earning a coveted spot at the Division II National Championships in Sacramento, California. Wingate University won the team title with a total of 33 points. The Trailblazers finished on a high note, finishing in seventh place. The women reset the record for the highest finish in program history and were the highest finishing Conference Carolinas team at the meet.

Having a fantastic day and crossing the line first for the Trailblazers was freshman Ellie Timmons. Timmons ran a personal best of 22:26 for the 6k distance, which is the second-fastest time on the Trailblazers All-Time list. Additionally, her 21^st place finish earned her all region honors and she was the second fastest freshman on the course. Not far behind was Cecily Anderton, who finished with a time of 22:38. Crossing the line side by side were sisters Avery and Riley Shope, who both ran a time of 23:26. Next was Christiana Gidney, who ran a time of 24:17. Not far behind was Rebekah Haddad, who finished with a time of 24:54. Rounding out the seven Trailblazers that ran was Riley Nicholson, who ran a time of 26:01.
            
From head coach Cameron Stober:
            
"The region meet is always fun. Some of the best teams in the country are represented in our region, including Wingate, the defending national champions on the men's side. Both races were loaded with talent and the atmosphere was great. Fans and spectators were all over the course which made for a true championship feel. 

"The women's 6K was the second race of the day. As they did at conference, our women went out aggressive and put themselves in the race early. Ellie finished as our top girl today. She managed to run a one second PB and finished 21st overall which earned her All-Region honors. She was also the second fastest freshman in the entire field. Cecily ran a strong race and barely missed All-Region honors by one spot. Regardless, I'm still really proud of her effort and her season. Avery had a huge bounce back performance after a tough Conference race. She ran number three for us, finished with a PB, and is now the fifth fastest female in school history over the 6K distance.

I'm really proud of her resilience and how she bounced back. Riley Shope put together another solid performance for us today despite not feeling her best. She really stepped up the last two races when it mattered the most. Christiana Gidney is someone that has come on really strong over the past couple of weeks. She ran the race of her life at conference two weeks ago, had a super impressive time trial last weekend, and then came back to finish as our fifth girl today at the region meet. What a past two weeks it's been for her. She's had a long journey battling some health issues, but I'm so proud of her perseverance.

It's been awesome to see her finally be able to run to her potential the past couple of weeks. Rebekah was a late substitution for us as one of our girls woke up sick this morning. I'm proud of how Rebekah responded with such short notice that she would be racing. She's been one of our most consistent runners this season and she proved her consistency once again today. Riley Nicholson had a tough race. She didn't feel well for the majority of the race, but still managed to finish. I know this wasn't how she wanted to end her season, but I'm proud of her. She means a lot to this team. Today wraps up a historic season for our women's program. This season is by far the most successful season in program history. We started the season not being ranked in the top 10 for our region and being ranked third for our conference.

We ended up as conference champions and the seventh best team in the region. Both of those are the highest finishes in program history. It takes talent to be successful. But talent alone isn't enough. It takes a daily commitment and consistency. And these ladies have proven that daily commitment and consistency since we started training back in May. One thing that I've realized over the past couple of weeks is that having a competitive program is great, but the right people make the difference. I'm so thankful to this group of women and I'm so proud of what they've accomplished this season. 

"Our team will take a much needed break to allow their bodies to rest and recover from a long training block and competitive season. After that break they will resume training as they prepare for track season."

That was the final race of the season for the Trailblazers and the perfect way to cap off a historic season!