NEED TO KNOW
Date: Oct. 2, 2021
Location: Louisville, Ky. – E.P "Tom" Sawyer State Park
Events: Women 6k // Men 8k
 
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Piedmont University's cross country teams got a sneak peek at the NCAA Division III Championship course on Saturday as the Lions competed in the prestigious Live In Lou Classic.
 
Saturday's event showcased some of the best cross country talent in the country across multiple levels, including the Division III Pre-Nationals races the Lions participated in.
 
Senior CONNOR MORANOS led the Lion men in their 8k race as he clocked a 26:49.4, which is just 0.2 seconds off from his personal best time, to finish in 124^th place out of 341 runners. Moranos was followed by junior GARY HALVERSON in 147^th place with a 27:09.0 time.
 
Not far behind Halverson came the second wave of Lions as DARIUS SMITH (28:01.0) and CONNOR CREEDON (28:02.1) finished just a second apart and placed 206^th and 208^th, respectively.
 
Smith's time set a new personal best, as did the 28:26.6 time for freshman JADON GONZALES, who rounded out the Piedmont top five in 227^th.
 
As she has in each event this year, senior VAL ANGEL led the women's group with a 23:52.3 6k time, placing her 63^rd out of 277 runners. Her time fell about seven seconds shy of her personal best.
 
Junior JAYCIE PONCE held serve as the team's No. 2 as she placed 138^th with a 25:09.3 final time. Behind her was junior ADDIE BOLTON in 157^th with a 25:36.2 in her first event in a couple of weeks.
 
A group of six men's runners took part in the men's blue race earlier in the morning as well. NATHANIEL TURNER led that group with a 28:58.4, a personal best for the freshman.
 
Piedmont has one more meet on the schedule before the USA South Championships on October 30 as the Lions head to Berry College for the second time this season on Saturday, October 16, for their final tune up.
 
Complete men's results:
8k:
CONNOR MORANOS – 26:49.4
GARY HALVERSON – 27:09.0
DARIUS SMITH – 28:01.0
CONNOR CREEDON – 28:02.1
JADON GONZALES – 28:26.6
JACOB BALOT – 28:42.0
WALKER CAPELLE – 28:46.1
MAX MILLER – 28:49.7
COLE ELROD – 29:22.3
TUCKER COX – 29:33.7
 
Complete women's results:
6k:
VAL ANGEL – 23:52.3
JAYCIE PONCE – 25:09.3
ADDIE BOLTON – 25:36.2
JOSEY GEORGE – 26:36.4
LEEANN LAWRENCE – 28:27.9
SHYELLE DAVENPORT – 36:34.5
 
Complete men's results (Blue Race):
8k:
NATHANIEL TURNER – 28:58.4
NOAH IRWIN – 29:09.6
PETER SLIGH – 29:18.0
MATTHEW GALE – 29:45.6
TREY HUGULEY – 30:53.1
CHRIS BALE – 32:41.4
 
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