Live NCAA SER results
 
Spartanburg, S.C.----The South Atlantic Conference champion Wingate University cross country teams look to take the next step Saturday, as the Bulldogs compete in the NCAA Division II Southeast Region championship meets at the Milliken Research Park. The women's 6K race starts at 8:30 a.m., while the men's 10K race begins at 9:45 a.m.
 
In the most recent NCAA Division II U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) coaches' polls, the Bulldog men are No. 5, while the Wingate women are No. 7. The NCAA XC regional championship races return after a one-year absence due to the global pandemic.
 
In 2019, Wingate hosted the NCAA Division II Southeast Region championship meets. The Bulldog women finished third to grab a nationals' berth. The Wingate men claimed fifth place as Micah Kipchumba ('20) received an individual invitation to nationals, thanks to his ninth-place finish.
 
What They Are Saying
Wingate head cross country coach Pol Domenech:

"Both programs are excited to face the regional competition after a really good showing two weeks ago at the conference championships. The primary goal will be to be among the top-three teams in each gender and obtain an automatic spot for the national championships in two weeks' time. Training has been really good…both teams arrive at this competition with great spirits and ready to perform. The regionals course suits us well and we are excited to see where we stand."
 
Wingate graduate student-athlete Oliver Way:

"Winning conference for the first time in Wingate's history was an amazing feeling and something we want to repeat at regionals. I'm extremely proud of this team and excited to see what we can do in the last few weeks of the season! Every single member of the squad has been putting in the work every day. We have trusted the process…seeing this translate into performances has been so rewarding. We're looking forward to getting the job done and securing our spot at nationals."
 
Wingate junior student-athlete Tatjana Mense:
 
"We have been progressing quite well through the season and the trend is going up. During the SAC race, we were able to pursue our own strategy and it went quite well considering that we won. We want to show that it wasn´t just a one-time thing, but that we belong up there. The regional race is another stopover on the way to nationals where we want to be at our best. The course will provide new conditions and new challenges which we hope to turn to our advantage."
 
"It is great for the team atmosphere and motivates all of us even more that we are no longer just trying to keep up with others, but instead are finally able to display our own strategy during the race. Every single day at practice we all work hard, which is where we get our biggest strength from – the team. Even though we are not racing at home, our teammates transform every course into our home course and support us. Basically, all you can hear during the race is 'Go Bulldogs,' which is what makes this team so strong and special."
 
Recent highlights

Graduate student Felix Nadeborn broke the school's 8K record with his silver-medal time of 23:56.2, leading the Bulldogs to their first South Atlantic Conference championship at McAlpine Creek Park on Saturday, Oct. 23. Wingate had four of the top six and eight of the top 11 finishers to post 24 points. Queens was second with 60 markers.
 
Junior Lara Orrock won the SAC championship meet with her school-record 6K time of 20:52.3, boosting the Bulldogs to the SAC team title at McAlpine Creek Park. Wingate had five of the top seven and seven of the top 11 finishers to post 23 points. Queens was second with 40 points.
 
Orrock was the SAC Runner of the Year, thanks to her gold-medal finish. Bulldog head coach Pol Domenech was voted the SAC women's and men's cross country Coach of the Year by his peers. The Wingate women's team win its fifth SAC women's cross country championship and first since 2015. The Bulldogs won previous SAC crowns in 2007, 2013, 2014 and 2015.
 
Wingate women's line-up

Tatjana Mense
Lara Orrock
Meg Rapley
Gemma Rebollo
Mollie Scott
Ashleigh Thomson
Lauryn Tumey Ursery
Zoe Brickley (alternate)
 
Wingate men's line-up

Titouan Le Grix
Bastian Mrochen
Felix Nadeborn
Scott Nutter
Yonas Sauers
Saul Valdez
Oliver Way
Dalton Miles (alternate)

Wingate University
 
Founded in 1896, Wingate University is a laboratory of difference-making that serves more than 3,400 students in North Carolina. Wingate offers 37 undergraduate majors as well as eight master's and five doctoral degrees. The University is home to the Cannon College of Arts and Sciences; the Levine College of Health Sciences; the Byrum School of Business; and the College of Professional Studies, which includes the Thayer School of Education and the School of Sport Sciences.

Wingate is a leader in healthcare education, and nearly one in five Wingate undergraduate students is preparing to be a pharmacist, physician assistant, physical therapist, occupational therapist or nurse. Student-athletes on Wingate's 24 teams compete in NCAA Division II and have brought home the SAC Echols Athletic Excellence Award for 13 years straight. The University's motto is "Faith, Knowledge, Service." View current news and videos at www.wingate.edu.