Women's XC | 11/5/2016 7:50:00 PM
BECKLEY, West Virginia -- The women's cross country team finished sixth out of ten teams at the 2016 River States Conference Cross Country Championship on Saturday hosted by WVU Tech at The Summit Bechtel Reserve near Beckley, West Virginia.
Tech was led by junior Nikki Aleshire who finished seventh out of 78 runners with a time of 20:53.4. Aleshire received first team all-conference accolades for her performance during the championship.
Also competing for the Golden Bears included sophomore Katie Ervin (30, 22:52.9), senior Atiyyah Herron (35, 23:30.9), sophomore Seirra Seay (44, 25:09.3) and juniors Kylie Lang (52, 25:56.6) and Cheyenne Davis (58, 27:34.3).
NAIA individual qualification was also at stake with the top four individuals not from the team champion also advancing to the national meet.
On the women's side, Asbury (Ky.) University senior Katy Falkenberg was the RSC individual champion for the second time in her career and was the first NAIA individual qualifier. She won the 5K race with a time of 19 minutes, 16 seconds.
Other individual national qualifiers in women's cross country were Katie Guarnaccia (Point Park), Anna Shields (Point Park) and Brittany Sloan (IU Kokomo)
The top 14 finishers in each of the men's and women's races were declared the RSC Men's and Women's Cross Country All-Conference Teams. The first seven finishers were the RSC First Team and the next seven finishers the RSC Second Team.
The RSC Men's and Women's Cross Country Champions of Character Teams were also selected with one individual from each team chosen as the one who best exhibits the five core character values of the NAIA's Champions of Character program of respect, responsibility, integrity, servant leadership and sportsmanship.
For the complete lists of RSC Women's Cross Country All-Conference Teams and RSC Women's Champions of Character Teams, scroll down this page.
Note: Ohio Christian and Alice Lloyd are undeclared from NAIA cross country meaning those schools were not eligible to advance to nationals as a team or individuals. But they competed within the RSC championship and were eligible for team and individual championship and honors, such as all-conference.
2016 RSC WOMEN'S CROSS COUNTRY ALL-CONFERENCE TEAMS
First Team
1. Katy Falkenberg (AU) Sr.
2. Ariel Arellano-Young (OCU) So.
3. Katie Guarnaccia (PPU) Jr.
4. Lucy Williams (RIO) So.
5. Anna Shields (PPU) So.
6. Brittany Sloan (IUK) So.
7. Nikki Aleshire (WVUT) Jr.
Second Team
8. Jenny Murtha (PPU) Fr.
9. McKenna Phipps (AU) So.
10. Maggie Dellinger (AU) So.
11. Rachel Ball (RIO) Jr.
12. Aubrey Dunfee (RIO) Jr.
13. Alyssa Turrentine (OCU) Fr.
14. Allison Lyon (AU) So.
2016 RSC WOMEN'S CROSS COUNTRY CHAMPIONS OF CHARACTER TEAM
Brittney Buttrey – Alice Lloyd
Rachel Terry – Asbury
Makenzie Jackson – Brescia
Janika Hutton – Carlow
Becca Deacon – Cincinnati Christian
Teresa Huelseman – IU East
Bre Robertson – IU Kokomo
Rachelle Felski – Midway
Ariel Arellano-Young – Ohio Christian
Saydi Lappe – Point Park
Kelsey Miller – Rio Grande
Sierra Seay – WVU Tech
