HPU Women’s Cross Country Fourth At Big South Championship

BUENA VISTA, Va. — The High Point University women’s cross country team placed fourth at the Big South Championship on Thursday at Vista Links Golf Course in Buena Vista, Va. Senior Kayleigh Perry finished eighth, earning All-Conference honors for the third year in a row.

Coastal Carolina won the team title with 56 points while three teams – Liberty, UNC Asheville and High Point – were separated by just seven points. Liberty scored 76, UNC Asheville 78 and High Point 83. Campbell placed fifth with 111 points followed by Winthrop (153), Radford (178) and host VMI (208). Charleston Southern placed ninth with 259 points followed by Gardner-Webb (302), Longwood (311) and Presbyterian (349).

“It was a really tight race so it was obviously disappointing to end up fourth,” said HPU head women’s cross country coach Jenna Wrieden. “We had some good individual performances. Kayleigh Perry showed once again how reliable she is. Natalia Ocasio had a great race, she has been really improving all season. Cozette Collin didn’t have her best day but she has shown a lot this season. We just have to keep working hard and improving as a team.”

Coastal Carolina’s Letitia Saayman and Kyla Van Grann went 1-2 in the race to lead the Chanticleers to the team title.

Perry was the Panthers’ top finisher in eighth with a time of 18:51.70. Collin placed 13th in 19:08.00 and Ocasio placed 15th in 19:09.71.

Senior Audrey Malloy placed 23rd with a time of 19:29.67 and sophomore Erika Peoples placed 24th in 19:32.48. Junior Krista Willard placed 27th in 19:43.90 and sophomore Katie Farina placed 35th in 19:51.03.

Farina was named to the Big South All-Academic team following the meet.

High Point has finished in the top four of the Big South Championship every season since 2003, including the 2011 season when the Panthers won the title.