INFO | SAC XC Championship results
 
Newberry, S.C.----The No. 6 Wingate University women's cross country team collected its eighth South Atlantic Conference championship Saturday, placing five runners in the league meet's top 11 at The Farm. The Bulldogs have won the last four SAC championship meets in a row.
 
Wingate had 27 points, defeating second-place and No. 30 Catawba by 34 points. The Bulldogs earned their previous SAC championships in 2007, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2021, 2022 and 2023.
 
Seniors Grace Burrell and Laila Abouzaid led the way, claiming second and third place, respectively. Burrell ran a 21:35.01 6K, while Abouzaid posted a 21:47.66 time. Wingate had seven student-athletes make the three All-SAC teams with four runners receiving first-team laurels.
 
Meet Information

Top five teams: Wingate (27 points), Catawba (61), Lincoln Memorial (84), Anderson (93) and Lenoir-Rhyne (128)
Individual finishers: 100 student-athletes representing 13 schools
Location: The Farm, Newberry, South Carolina (Newberry College, host)
 
Quotables
 
Wingate head coach Pol Domenech
 
"I am really proud of this group today. They controlled the race from the start and made it hard for the other teams to match our depth. We are super proud of how close together our top five was…and we are excited to see these women gain some confidence as we head towards the NCAA races. A big thank you to Newberry for hosting an amazing championship for all of the South Atlantic Conference's cross country student-athletes."
 
Wingate senior Grace Burrell
 
"I'm so proud of myself and the rest of the team! We all stuck to the game plan and just had fun out there. I could not be happier to be a senior with this incredible group of women and to be led by the most amazing coaching team."
 
Wingate fifth-year senior Tara Migliaccio
 
"The South Atlantic Conference championship meet is undoubtedly one of the most exciting races of the season…and this year did not disappoint. Although not everyone gets to race, we bring everyone along, which truly makes it feel like a family. The energy is electrifying, creating a day that leaves you pumped up for the races. As a result, both the men's and women's teams once again brought home SAC titles!"
 
"I didn't perform at the level I had hoped for, but the support and encouragement from my team and coaches reminded me that everyone has bad days and that it's important to focus on the positives. While both the men's and women's teams are outstanding athletically, what makes this team so special is the family we have built. Days like this remind us all how important that connection is."
 
Inside the 6K Race Results
 
- Wingate had five runners in the top 11 and seven in the top 17
- Catawba junior Madison Clay won the 6K race
- Clay ran a 21:26.23 6K Saturday, claiming her third SAC individual crown
- The Bulldogs occupied the next three spots (Burrell, Abouzaid, senior Anna Martin)
- WU senior Anna Martin finished fourth with a personal-best 21:48.60 6K
- The '24 top six teams were the same as last year, albeit in a different order
 
Notables
 
- Seven Bulldogs made the three All-SAC teams
- Sophomore Evie Brooks joined Burrell, Abouzaid and Martin on the first team
- Brooks finished seventh with her 6K time of 21:52.60
- Fifth-year senior Tara Migliaccio made the All-SAC second team
- Migliaccio finished 11th with her 6K time of 22:12.82
- Sophomore Riya Keshaw finished 13th with a personal-best time of 22:28.07
- She joined Migliaccio on the All-SAC second team
- Keshaw was Wingate's SAC Elite 23 nominee for women's cross country
- She holds a 3.968 cumulative GPA with her biology major
- Senior Enora Toupin finished 17th (22:40.44) to claim third team All-SAC honors
 
Up Next - NCAA Southeast Regional XC meet Nov. 9

The defending region champions will compete in the NCAA Division II Southeast Regional Cross Country meet Saturday, November 9 in Spartanburg, South Carolina. The championships are hosted by Converse University at the famed Milliken Research Park.
The men's 10K race is slated for 10 a.m. The women's 6K race follows at 11:15 a.m.
 
The Bulldogs are the defending Southeast Region champions in both men's and women's cross country. The Wingate men won the '23 NCAA Division II national championship meet, while the Bulldog women claimed eighth place at the '23 NCAA event.

Wingate University
 
Wingate University is a lab of difference-making that serves more than 3,400 students in North Carolina and offers 60 degree pathways, including 37 undergraduate majors, 10 pre-professional tracks and five dual-degree programs. Graduate students choose from seven master's and five doctoral programs. The University is home to the Cannon College of Arts and Sciences, the Levine College of Health Sciences, the Byrum School of Business, the Thayer School of Education and the School of Sport Sciences.
 
Founded in 1896, Wingate University is a leader in healthcare education where nearly one in five undergraduate students is preparing to be a pharmacist, physician assistant, physical therapist, occupational therapist or nurse. Student-athletes on Wingate's 26 teams compete in NCAA Division II and have brought home the SAC Echols Athletic Excellence Award the past 16 times it has been awarded. The University's motto is "Faith, Knowledge, Service." View current news and videos at www.wingate.edu.
 
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