Bouchrak Completes Three-Peat at VertCross
KERNERSVILLE, N.C. – The High Point University men’s cross-country team finished 2nd with a team score of 47. For the third consecutive season, Hocine Bouchrak won the VertCross finishing first in 2021 with a time of 24:54.7.
Hocine on his third VertCross Title: I am very happy today it was nice at the end to push the pace. The plan was to help my teammates and then after the 4K pull out the pace I felt really good the last 4K. In the last 2K, I wanted to challenge myself and I did pretty well. The main goal is Conference and Regionals. We are working hard to get there and be in the best shape. I feel much better. This is my fifth year here at High Point, I have more experience in races, and being able to win VertCross for the third time is very special. This is my best spot here in High Point, I think I am in the best shape I’ve ever been in and I want to do something big.
Esposito on Bouchrak: I saw a kid that is ready to really roll. Today was a very measured effort by design. The idea was to threshold it, tempo it, help our group first through the first K or two. I see a kid that is at a whole different level, a kid that is ready to do some special things. He has paid his dues, he has done all the little things just right and he is very talented.
Mike Esposito: I thought we were pretty flat all week. I really love this group I think this group does all the right things they just have to turn the switch and believe Last spring at Conference especially in the steeple, they believed you could tell that day. They did not have an all that good lead up to that which is crazy and we have had a great lead up to this they just have to get to that place where they can trust how fit they are and trust what they are capable of and just go do it.
Panther Particulars
Bouchrak showed out on his home course as his impressive season continues as Bouchrak won his third consecutive title. Bouchrak finished first with a time of 24:54.7. At the 4K mark, Bouchrak made his move and created space between himself and the field finishing 26 seconds ahead of the second finisher.
Austen Cave and Ian Miller finished 11th and 12th. Cave recorded a time of 25:55.9 for 11th. Miller was the third Panther finisher as he continues to shine in his breakout season. Miller finished with a time of 25:58.0.
Spencer Smucker was the fourth Panther to finish and was 17th overall with a time of 26:08.9, Stephen Gray finished 22nd with a time of 26:26.6.
Hunter Steinau and Jake Tarosky rounded out the top thirty of the race as Steinau was 24th and Tarosky was 30th.
Two-time freshman of the week Graham Ferguson finished 38th out of 102.
Final Standings
1 DUKE 32 2-4-5-6-15(23)(25)
2 HIGH POINT 47 1-8-9-13-16(18)(21)
3 APPALACHIAN STATE 60 7-10-12-14-17(19)(22)
4 VMI 111 3-24-26-27-31(34)(38)
5 RADFORD 139 11-20-33-35-40(44)(45)
6 MARSHALL 156 28-29-30-32-37(39)(43)
7 LONGWOOD 213 36-41-42-46-48(49)(50)
8 PRESBYTERIAN 257 47-51-52-53-54
UP NEXT
High Point remains home at Ivey Redmon as the Panthers will serve as the host for the 2021 Big South Cross-Country Championships on Friday, October 29th.
Panthers Finish Third at 2021 VertCross
KERNERSVILLE, N.C. – The High Point University women’s cross-country team finished 3rd with a team score of 74.
Remy Tamer: Today was a beautiful display of why we race, of why we show up on race the day and go head to head. It is what makes our sport so beautiful, there is no speculation, rankings, or expectations there are only results. We went head to head with two solid teams in Appalachian State and Radford, a conference rival and they beat us. We straight up lost to two teams we all put out our best and it did not fall in our favor. Am I happy? Of course not but we are a championship team and that is the standard we want to be held to. However, that is the beauty of our sport the results don’t lie. This was not a battle of fitness it was a battle of who was willing to hurt the most. Who was willing to test themselves mentally and emotionally in the heat and on a course that zaps your legs pretty well. I think that our women are ready to go 14 days from now on the Conference Championship day I think that they are prepared and trained to show up and win. But what I think is not nearly as important as what they think. In the next 14 days we won’t have to get any faster, we won’t have to do any magic workouts, what we will have to do is ask ourselves truthfully and deeply are we willing to hurt as badly as our competitors, are we willing to push ourselves beyond the limits we set for ourselves arbitrarily? If we can do that today was a good learning point to a championship season.
Panther Particulars
Lindsey Ickes was again the first Panther finisher as she has been in all HPU races this season. Ickes finished sixth with a time of 18:07.4.
Running unattached was HPU’s graduate student Hannah Brookeover who is competing in preparation for the upcoming track season. Brookeover took home first in the VertCross finishing with a time of 17:30.4. Her score did not apply to the HPU team score.
Sydney Bagus was the second-High Point finisher placing 11th overall with a time of 18:28.6. Tatum Castillo made a move late during the final few moments before the finish line to move from 21st to 20th with a time of 18:52.9.
Katie Taylor was 23rd with a time of 18:59.7 her teammate Camryn Harper finished with a time of 19:03.7 placing 27th.
Franzi Jakobs, two-time Big South Freshman of the Week Anna Ritter, and Olive Allen finished 37th, 38th, and 39th. Lucy Clayton placed 41st while Tessa Webb was 45th.
Final Standings
1 APPALACHIAN STATE 58 2-8-11-18-19(21)(30)
2 RADFORD 62 3-7-12-13-27(35)(38)
3 HIGH POINT 74 5-9-17-20-23(32)(33)
4 CHARLESTON SOUTHERN 83 10-14-15-16-28(31)(39)
5 MARSHALL 133 6-25-29-36-37(40)(43)
6 CAMPBELL 138 1-4-24-54-55 1:37:17
7 VMI 217 22-42-44-52-57(62)(67)
8 LIBERTY 234 34-41-46-53-60
9 N. CAROLINA A&T 245 26-47-51-58-63(65)(70)
10 LONGWOOD 264 45-49-50-59-61(66)(68)
11 PRESBYTERIAN 308 48-56-64-69-71
UP NEXT
High Point remains home at Ivey Redmon as the Panthers will serve as the host for the 2021 Big South Cross-Country Championships on Friday, October 29th.