College Cross Country News – Guilford Sweeps Weekly ODAC Honors

GREENSBORO, N.C. – Guilford College’s Andris Goncarovs (Ithaca, N.Y./Lambert Alternative Community School (SUNY Buffalo)) and Jasmine O’Neill (Winston-Salem, N.C./Parkland) were both named Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) Runners of the Week for the week ending Oct. 7. Goncarovs, a junior, also received his second Guilford College Student-Athlete of the Week Award, which is presented by the school’s Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC).

Goncarovs scored his first college victory Oct. 6 at the Hagan Stone Classic, outrunning 134 others with an eight-kilometer time of 26 minutes, 19.20 seconds. He outkicked teammate Chad Norton, who finished second overall in 26:27.50. The pair helped Guilford claim third-place in the 16-team field, matching its best finish of the year. Goncarovs’ winning time is 13th-fastest in school history, while Norton’s stands 16th all-time.

Andris Goncarovs 2014

Goncarovs has had the Quakers’ best men’s time in each of Guilford’s first four races, including a personal-best 25:36.7 at the Charlotte Invitational Sept. 28 that ranks fifth in school history.

In the women’s showing at the Hagan Stone Classic, O’Neill crossed the finish line of the five-kilometer course in 21:09.99, the fifth-fastest time in school history. She finished 18th out of 114 runners and helped the Quakers place eighth in the 13-team field, first among NCAA Division III teams.

Jasmine O'Neill 2015

O’Neill has led the Quakers’ women in all four races to date. Her 25:55.28 at the Charlotte Invitational Sept. 28 is the 10th-fastest six-kilometer time in school history.

Head coach Danny Cash’s teams are back in action Oct. 27 at the Old Dominion Athletic Conference Championships in Harrisonburg, Va.

The Student-Athlete of the Week Award is presented by Guilford’s SAAC, which is comprised of representatives from each of the school’s 20 varsity teams. The group meets regularly to discuss the state of Guilford Athletics and seeks to build community among Guilford’s student-athletes and non-student-athletes. Recent Guilford SAAC activities include a cancer awareness promotions, canned-food drives, volunteer assistance with the North Carolina Special Olympics and tutoring at New Garden Friends School