INFO | Converse Kickoff women's and men's results
 
Spartanburg, S.C.----The No. 6 Wingate University women's cross country team had five of the top 13 finishers to take a 33-point victory in the 2024 Converse Kickoff at the Milliken Research Park Saturday. The No. 1 Bulldog men's team also earned a podium finish, claiming third place. The Converse Kickoff serves as a preview race for the NCAA Division II Southeast Regional in November.
 
Men's 8K race
 
Senior All-American Scott Nutter led the No. 1 Bulldogs, earning a fourth-place finish with his 8K time of 25:06.0. Freshman Alexis Collomb finished ninth, thanks to his 8K time of 25:29.2. Collomb was one of three in Wingate's top five finishers making a Bulldog debut Saturday.
 
Freshman Matthew Brunnock also ran his first race as a Bulldog Saturday, finishing 13th with his 8K time of 25:39.0. Sophomore David Holman and senior Mikah Paiz rounded out Wingate's counting finishers, taking 25th place (25:55.4) and 26th place (25:59.4), respectively. A transfer from Adams State (Colo.), Paiz wore the Bulldogs' Navy Blue and Vegas Gold for the first time in Spartanburg.
 
On the team charts, No. 1 Wingate had 75 points to take third place. No. 22 Anderson won the team crown with 40 points. Catawba had 64 points to claim second place. NAIA No. 10 Montreat was fourth with 105 points, while Lincoln Memorial was fifth with 164 points. The LMU Railsplitters gave the South Atlantic Conference four schools in the top five.
 
Anderson junior Elliot Dotson won the individual gold medal, thanks to his 8K time of 24:21.4. Dotson's AU senior teammate Spain Vaughan was second with his 8K time of 24:54.5. Montreat sophomore Ryan Stade was third with his 8K posting of 24:59.1. Twenty-two schools and 221 student-athletes competed in the 2024 Converse Kickoff.
 
What They Are Saying
Wingate senior All-American Scott Nutter
 
"Today's race was a great indicator of where we are in terms of fitness and a reflection of our training. The course at Spartanburg is always a fun spot for competitions, thanks to its great surface and good venues for spectating."
 
"Both men and women performed well as expected, and it looks as though we are setting up for a great season. The next goal as a team is to try to win the Paul Short Run at Lehigh University. The season is a long one, but I feel that we are setting ourselves up to repeat last year's success."
 
Women's 6K race
 
In her Wingate debut, freshman Firdaouss Hriche finished third with her 6K time of 22:08.6. Fifth-year senior Tara Migliaccio was next, finishing fourth with her 6K time of 22:09.6. Senior Grace Burrell also achieved a top-10 performance, posting a 6K time of 22:21.9 to take eighth-place.
 
Senior Mia Cabrera finished 11th, recording a 6K time of 22:25.7. The California Baptist University transfer was also making her first appearance in Wingate's Navy Blue and Vegas Gold. Sophomore Ona Alonso rounded the Bulldogs' top five, finishing 13th with her 6K time of 22:38.5.
 
On the team leader board, No. 6 Wingate had 36 points. No. 26 Catawba was second with 69 points. NAIA No. 8 Montreat was third with 98 points. The South Atlantic Conference had four schools in the top five, as Lincoln Memorial (102 points) and Anderson (131 points) finished fourth and fifth, respectively. Twenty-one schools and 211 student-athletes competed in the 2024 Converse Kickoff.
 
Montreat had the top two runners. Running unattached, freshman Heather Murphy won the race with her 6K time of 21:41.2. Cavalier teammate Ali Ray was second (21:43.6), while Catawba junior Madison Clay was third (21:57.7). Starting with Clay, the South Atlantic Conference had 13 finishers in a row.
 
Up Next
 
Wingate competes in Lehigh University's Paul Short Run Saturday, October 5 in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. The LU Mountain Hawks host this event on the Goodman Campus Cross Country Course.
 
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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