INFO | SAC XC Championship results
 
Greeneville, Tenn.----The No. 6 Wingate University women's cross country team earned its ninth South Atlantic Conference championship Saturday, placing five runners in the league meet's top 10 at Kinser Park. The Bulldogs have won the last five SAC championship meets in a row.
 
Wingate had 25 points. No. 17 Catawba finished second with 38 points. The Bulldogs earned their previous SAC championships in 2007, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024.
 
Freshman Abigail Bester is the SAC Women's Runner of the Year by virtue of her first-place performance Saturday. Bester navigated the 6K course with her time of 23:08.45. Her twin sister Kiara Bester finished second, thanks to her 6K time of 23:10.55. Wingate had seven student-athletes make the three All-SAC teams with four runners receiving first-team laurels.
 
Meet Information

Top five teams: No. 6 Wingate (25 points), No. 17 Catawba (38), Anderson (98), Lincoln Memorial (126) and Carson-Newman (149)
Individual finishers: 103 student-athletes representing 13 schools
Location: Kinser Park, Greeneville, Tennessee (Tusculum University, host)

Quotables
 
Wingate head coach Pol Domenech
 
"Today was an absolute master class by the women. They put on a clinic of what it means to run for each other out on the course. We faced many challenges, and a very strong Catawba team, and the women were able to answer every single one of them. We are looking forward to the next four weeks with great anticipation."
 
Inside the 6K Race Results
 
- Wingate had five runners in the top 10 Saturday
- Sophomore Firdaouss Hriche finished fifth, thanks to her 6K time of 23:28.07
- Senior Sira Bo earned a seventh-place finish with her 6K time of 23:42.14
- Junior Riya Keshaw took 10th place with her 6K time of 24:20.01

Notables
 
- Seven Bulldogs made the three All-SAC teams
- The Bester twins, Hriche and Bo made the first team
- Keshaw earned All-SAC second team laurels
- Keshaw was Wingate's SAC Elite 23 nominee for women's cross country
- She holds a 3.985 cumulative GPA with her biology major
- Two Bulldogs made the All-SAC third team
- Freshman Sara Carrato finished 18th with her 6K time of 25:09.96
- Sophomore Baia Touza was 21st with her 6K time of 25:18.72
- Carrato joined the Bester twins on the SAC All-Freshman team
 
Up Next - NCAA Southeast Regional XC meet Nov. 8


The defending region champions will compete in the NCAA Division II Southeast Regional Cross Country meet Saturday, November 8. The championships are hosted by Wingate University at the WU Cross Country Facility. The women's 6K race is slated for 10 a.m. The men's 10K 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 and finished second in the '24 event. The Bulldog women claimed eighth place at both the '23 and the '24 NCAA championship events.