Rock Hill, S.C.----Wingate University senior Evie Brooks (Horncastle, England) is this week's South Atlantic Conference WePlayed Sports Cross Country Runner of the Week, league officials announce from corporate headquarters. Brooks receives this recognition for the first time in her distinguished #WUXC career.

The No. 2 Wingate women's cross country team finished fifth in the University of Virginia's Panorama Farms Invitational Friday. Brooks led the defending South Atlantic Conference and Southeast Region champions, finishing 13th with a season-best 6K time of 21:18.8. The Atlantic Coast Conference-member UVA Cavaliers hosted this event.
 
The Bulldogs were the only non-Division I squad in the 17-team field. Wingate posted 151 points, edging sixth-place the University of Maryland by five points. The Bulldogs defeated 11 NCAA Division I schools, including Maryland, UNC Asheville, Marquette and VMI, among others. Virginia Tech won the meet with 20 points. The Virginia Cavaliers and the Charlotte 49ers finished second (36 points) and third (118 points), respectively.
 
What They Are Saying
Wingate head cross country coach Pol Domenech
 
"As the veteran that she is, Evie executed the race perfectly. Her performance may go overlooked by many, but running as well as she did on a challenging course like Panorama Farms is a great sign that we are heading in the right direction. We are excited to see what Evie and this women's team can accomplish on December 4 (at NCAAs)."
 
On the horizon for the No. 2 Bulldogs
 
Wingate hosts the postseason South Atlantic Conference meet Saturday, November 7 at the WU Cross Country Facility. Converse hosts the NCAA Division II Southeast Regional championships on Saturday, November 21 at Milliken Research Park in Spartanburg, South Carolina. The 2026 NCAA Division II national championship meet is Friday, December 4 in Lawrence, Kansas.
 
Wingate University
 
Wingate University is a lab of difference-making that serves more than 3,600 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 30 teams compete in NCAA Division II and have brought home the SAC Echols Athletic Excellence Award the past 18 times it has been awarded. The University's motto is "Faith, Knowledge, Service." View current news and videos at www.wingate.edu.
 
OneDog, #OneDog, and One Day One Dog are registered trademarks of Wingate University.