JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. - Carson-Newman ends their 2022 season in the Tar Heel State when the Eagles trek to Charlotte, N.C., to compete in the NCAA DII Southeast Regional on Saturday, Nov. 19.
Teams from the South Atlantic Conference, Conference Carolinas, Peach Belt Conference, and Gulf South Conference will compete at the event. The day starts at 10:00 A.M. with the men's 10K run, followed by the women's 6K run at 11:15 A.M.
To qualify for the national championship, the top two individuals who are not part of a qualifying team will automatically advance to the championship finals (16 individuals total). All individuals who finish in the top five at the regional meet and are not part of a qualifying team will automatically advance to the championship finals. The following eight individuals will be selected at large, giving 24 qualifying racers from each region.
"I definitely think that with our conference being so strong that our girls, even though they finished sixth in the conference, may still finish top-10 in the region just because our conference battles real hard with each other, and that'll test you for the region," head coach Mike Spooner said. "I am excited to how they continue, especially with them being so young."
The Eagles last competed on Nov. 5 at the 2022 SAC Cross Country Championships. The men finished 5th, and the women 6th, at the event. Katie Smock and Imke Van Gog earned Third-Team all-conference honors for their efforts, and Colten Lee earned a spot on the All-Freshman team.
Colten Lee finished 24th with a time of 26:58.6. He was the third freshman to finish the race and the first Eagle to cross the line. Katie Smock finished 19th with a time of 23:42.1. Imke Van Gog was right behind her at 21st with a time of 23:55.7.
"Our women's team was able to push through and have a good day. We were creeping up on the fifth spot there as well," Spooner said. "The guys had their best finish since 2009, which is a big deal for us. We bring back everybody in our top six, so it is a good opportunity for us to learn and grow."
Carson-Newman's last postseason appearance was just one year ago at the 2021 Southeast Regionals. For the first time since at least 2008, the women's had a top-10 finish at the event. Van Gog, Smock, and Madison Dockery are among the members of the women's team who had raced at the event last year. Smock finished 41st with a time of 23:16.2, Dockery finished 44th with a time of 23:19.9, and Van Gog finished 51st with a time of 23:24.9.
The men had finished 18th in the event, marking the fifth straight top-20 finish at the regionals. All of the top five runners from the event remained on the roster for the 2022 season. Raymond Brugmans finished 83rd with a time of 34:37.6, Will Kolb finished 101st with a time of 35:13.7, and Kirby Logan finished 103rd with a time of 35:15.2.
"We are a little more battle-tested on the men's side, so I think having those guys back, along with Brent Borden, who is a transfer, will give Colten Lee confidence in his first region meet. Overall, It lets them know what they are competing for and what it means. I know the guys are going to take a lot of pride in this race for sure," Spooner said.
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