Etienne leads ASU XC to sixth consecutive SWAC Championship
CLINTON, Miss. (bamastatesports.com) – Senior Tatiana Etienne paced Alabama State’s women’s cross country team to its sixth consecutive SWAC Championship capturing first place in the 5k run held at Choctaw Trails in Clinton, Miss. today. Coach Ritchie Beene was named Coach of the year for his seventh time since he has been head of the program.
Etienne crossed the line with the time of 18:32 respectively garnishing the Women’s Cross Country Runner of the Year award. Teammates freshman Arion Span (18:49) and Janice Lane (19:00) nabbed spots on the All-SWAC First Team. Span was the second Lady Hornet to cross the line placing her as a third place finisher, while the third finisher for ASU was Janice Lane who finished fourth. Lane also had a personal best record today.
“I am definitely excited about the fact that we have won another championship,” said Beene. “I think that this group of ladies that won today had to find something deeper than themselves, because this is not the same group that we had last year. I am super excited and I am super proud of them. What we have done prior to us getting here does not represent how we finished. We weren’t as prepared as we should have been coming in, but these ladies stepped up like some true champions.”
“Tatiana a senior that was one of the people that came back from that dynasty team that we had and she carried us today. We had a freshman (Span) and junior transfer (Lane), that placed in the top five and we brought them in to do what they were suppose to do. It would be totally out of character if I didn’t mention giving major props to assistant coach Michael Snapp. Snapp has been my rock and the backbone of this team and pretty much made it possible for us to win today. He prepares these teams and makes it happen.”
Sade Lavallias (19:59), Brandee Ebert (20:02), Chyna-Joi Staton (20:03) and Shakailia Williams (20:13) rounded out the field as a team the women finished with 35 points and an average time of 19:16.
Mississippi Valley (47) completed an average time of 19:32 to place second and third- place Prairie View (103) compiled a time of 20:31. The rest of the field consisted of Texas Southern (119), Southern (144), Alcorn State (150), Grambling (170), Arkansas Pine Bluff (217), Jackson State (227) and Alabama A&M (229).
The Lady Hornets will compete in the NCAA South Regional in Tallahassee, Fla. on Nov. 11.
On the men’s side ASU finished fourth with 101 points and the average time of 27:56 in their 8k run. Sophomore Andrew Jackson was the first Hornet to cross the line posting a time of 27:37, while junior Gregory Thigpen was close behind at 27:52. Tyree Newton (27:53), Joshua Coffelt (27:59), Bryont Brown (28:22) and Andrew Coicou (28:49) rounded out the Hornets contingent.
“I am very pleased with the guy’s team, although I would have wanted them to finish in the top three,” Beene said. “The best thing about the men’s team is that everyone had season personal best. Andrew Jackson, this kid did an amazing job. He showed up and showed out. I am definitely hopeful for the men’s team going into the rest of the season. We still have a ways to go, but where we started from and the adversity that we had to overcome. Once again my hat goes off to coach Snapp and the job he has done with this team as well.”
Grambling grabbed the team title with 35 points, followed by Prairie View (76) and Jackson State (92). The rest of the field consisted of Texas Southern (114), Mississippi Valley (137), Arkansas-Pine Bluff (157), Southern (210) and Alcorn State (234).
