Oct. 25, 2001

MACON, Ga. - The 2001 Atlantic Sun men's and women's cross country championships are being held this coming weekend in Atlanta, Ga. Georgia State University will host the event that will feature all 11 teams from the conference, super competition, and possibly some falling records. The men will run 8k beginning at 9:00 am and the women will run a 5k beginning at 10:00 am on the course at the Georgia Regional Hospital.

Last year GSU won the women's title, will they repeat? Will Sonja Shedden successfully defend her individual title? So many questions to be answered at the Atlantic Sun Cross Country Championships on Oct. 27th. UCF's team features defending A-Sun champion Sonja Shedden who has the 10th best time in the A-Sun, 17:40, 16 seconds faster than her championship time last season. The steaks are upped for Shedden as she is poised to become just the second person in A-Sun women's cross-country history to win three individual titles. Newcomer, Belmont features Keely Weaver and Margaret Elliott who hold two of the top five times in the A-Sun. Georgia State has two-time runner-of-the-week, Jenn Feenstra who has the best 5k time in the A-Sun at 16:59 along with the third best time of 17:07. Campbell's Heather Lee also boasts two of the top five times in the conference. This years field features 12 runners with times faster than Shedden's winning time of 17:56 last season, and six times faster than the fastest championship time of 17:34.

Samford, the defending men's champion, will they win again? Who will take over for three-time champion and four-time all conference honoree, Michael Green (TSU) whose eligibility ended last season? There are so many choices, lets begin with the newest member of the A-Sun, Belmont. The Bruins bring William Kemey, holder of the top two times in the A-Sun at 24:03 for 8k and 24:35 for 10k. Kemey is the only A-Sun runner to post a time faster than Green ran at last season's championship. Belmont also has Matt Day, holder of the third best time in the conference and Nathan Kosiba, all total the Bruins currently hold four of the top five A-Sun times. Georgia State has two-time runner-of-the-week, Giovanni Gentiluomo who has the fourth best time at 25:26 and teammates Tee Mott and Paul Rickard. Campbell has Ryan Richmond, Michael Earl and Clarence Williams all with times in the top 15. Samford is lead by Brett Baddorf and Mark Rowe. UCF has Danny Cook who has the eighth best time in the A-Sun.

This is the fifth time Georgia State has hosted the conference cross country championships. The Panthers are the only active Atlantic Sun member that has won four men's cross country championship titles, the most of any member institution. The lowest meet score in the men's race is 17 points held by former member the University of Texas-San Antonio, set back in 1988 in Birmingham, Ala. Georgia State's Michael Dear holds the fastest time on record at 24:35, set back in 1991 in Hammond, La. On the women's side former member Florida International set the low score record with 19 points in 1993, here in Atlanta. Georgia States' Sarah Howard is the only three-time women's winner in A-Sun history (1996-98). GSU's Meri Poteet is the holder of the fastest time on record at 17:34 at Hammond, La in 1991.