NEED TO KNOW
Date: November 12, 2022
Location: Newport News, VA – Lee Hall Mansion
Event: Men's 8k
NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – The top seven runners from Piedmont's men's cross country program made their way to the last race of the season to compete in the NCAA Division III South Region Cross Country Championships. On a surprisingly hot day for November, the Lions clawed to a 12th place finish out of 24 teams in the final region standings, just missing the highest region finish in program history at 11th place.
The brightest star of the day was Piedmont's first finisher in the competition, sophomore Layton Bradford. Bradford finished 32nd in the race, running a 21:13.5, which earned him All-Region honors and a medal to match his achievement.
"The heat contributed to a more challenging mental battle today, but it feels great to get my first region honors ever, and it makes me excited for track season. The team did well all season, and everybody gave their best. It made for a great grind-out race today with my teammates," says Bradford.
Senior Darius Smith finished second for the Lions, posting a time of 27:52.0 in his final collegiate cross country race. Another sophomore, Jadon Gonzales, rolled through in third for the Lions, with his time landing on 29:09.1. Tucker Cox finished just a few seconds behind Gonzales to earn a 29:17.9. Rounding out the top five, senior Cole Elrod crossed the finish line at 29:21.0, finishing two runners behind his teammate Cox, placing 80th and 83rd respectively. Senior Jacob Balot clocked in at 29:40.1, followed by another senior, Gary Halverson, who finished things out for the Lions with a 31:10.0.
While the final results may not have been the overall team outcome the Lions hoped for, the bright spots this cross country program has created for themselves continued to show. Fighting up hills, battling heat and fatigue, and finishing a long and hard-fought season by giving all the effort possible is impactful aspects of being proud of. Head Coach Jamie Jimison feels this way, sharing that, "[I] was really satisfied with how our men's team ran this year. It felt like we came together with a great group dynamic, and this was one of the deepest teams we've ever had in school history. We have many folks who are keying towards having strong track & field seasons, and I think, based on what we did this cross-country season, we have some special things in store. We have many seniors that are going to be moving into their final season of competition at Piedmont, and I think the way they showed their resilience today in tough conditions and the way they've batted through their careers at this point, the track and field season is going to be very exciting."
With the season ending and the semester drawing to a close, the transition from cross country to track is on the horizon. Piedmont runners look forward to a week or two off before track conditioning kicks up, so needless to say, the exciting competition will keep rolling through. The first Piedmont University indoor track meet is scheduled for January 23, 2023, at the JDL Flat is Fast Invitational in Winston-Salem, NC. Thank you to all the family, friends, and support of all kinds for the continued encouragement throughout the season! See you in track season.
Complete Men's Results
Layton Bradford – 27:13.5
Darius Smith – 27:52.0
Jadon Gonzales – 29:09.1
Tucker Cox – 29:17.9
Cole Elrod – 29:21.0
Jacob Balot – 29:40.1
Gary Halverson – 31:10.0
HOW TO FOLLOW:
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