Rock Hill, S.C.----The Wingate University cross country teams completed in the Winthrop University Invitational Saturday, hosted by the Eagles at the Winthrop Lake course. For the Wingate men, sophomore Steve Hammond (Warsaw, Ohio) was fifth with an 8K time of 26:08.64. Hammond the Bulldog men finished fourth in a 11-team field, while the Wingate women placed seventh in the 12-team field.
 
For the second week in a row, Hammond was the top NCAA Division II finisher in an event won by a Division I runner. Hammond was the 2010 South Atlantic Conference Freshman of the Year and Wingate’s team MVP as first-year runner. Bulldog junior Andrew Smith (Oakboro, N.C.) was 14th with a time of 26:32.43.
 
Wingate sophomore Biniam Ateka Belachew (Addis Ababa, Ethiopia) finished 40th with a time of 27:30.16. Freshman Jordan Phillips (Cornelius, N.C.) charted in 44th place with a time of 27:36.68. Sophomore James Lawson (Wake Forest, N.C.) was 45th with a 27:40.31 clocking.
 
Winthrop senior Adam Freudenthal won the men’s race with a time of 24:51.08. Freudenthal was one of the three Eagles in the top five as the hosts won the team title with 31 points. Winthrop was followed by Mount Olive (43 points), Spartanburg Methodist (109), Wingate (126) and Mars Hill (129).
 
“On the men’s side, we believe today was a positive step in the right direction,” Wingate head cross country coach Dr. Dennis Johnson says. “We got to see how we stand at this point of the season against Mars Hill and Mount Olive. Hopefully, we will keep making good strides and continue to make improvements in the coming weeks.”
 
For the Wingate women, sophomore Keeley Wood (Sanford, N.C.) led the way. The 2010 All-SAC performer finished 28th with a 5K time of 19:33.65. Classmate Brianna Stevens (Coshocton, Ohio) was one minute behind Wood, placing 62nd with a time of 20:33.36. Stevens finished 17th in the 2010 Food Lion SAC championship meet.
 
Bulldog junior Melanie Wollenberg (New Lexington, Ohio) shaved 50 seconds from her opening week time, finished 67th with a 20:53.37 clocking. Both Wingate freshman Austin Hoffman (Valdese, N.C.) and junior Rachael Winterling (Weaverville, N.C.) improved their week two times. Hoffman was 75th with a time of 21:24.60, while Winterling was 81st with a time of 21:38.96.
 
South Carolina senior Beatrice Biwott won the women’s 5K with a time of 17:36.94. Biwott and her Gamecock teammates won the team title with 43 points. Team positions two through seven were occupied by Davidson (51 points), Wofford (86), Winthrop (92), Mount Olive (121), Gardner-Webb (168) and Wingate (213).
 
“Our women made several improvements even from last week,” Johnson says. “We are hoping to overcome some early-season injuries and setbacks. Hopefully, we will be on the right track soon.”
 
Wingate will host the second annual Bulldog Stampede Saturday, Sept. 24 at the Wingate University Cross Country Complex. The college men’s 8K race is slated for 9:30 a.m., while the women’s 5K race will follow at 10:15 a.m. Middle school boys and girls will run a 3K prior to the college races. High school student-athletes will run a 5K following the college events.