ROME — In the final regular season competition of the fall, the Piedmont College men's cross country team finished 10th of 13 NCAA Division II, III and NAIA teams at the Berry College Invitational. Junior Cody Parker finished as the Lions top competitor in 46th overall running a 28:35.60.
The Lions had the opportunity to race head-to-head against conference opponents Covenant and Maryville finishing just behind Covenant and beating Maryville by two spots. Piedmont tied with Covenant in overall points but the Scots took the advantage in the tie-breaker.
Parker led the team followed by freshman Dewayne Cagle who finished the 8k in 28:55.95 while Jarrod Howell was only seconds behind him with a 28:58.59. Howell set a new personal record, breaking his set earlier in the season by nearly 17 seconds.
Clayton Thayer was the fourth runner for the Lions running 29:10.72 while Zane Rimmer finished as Piedmont's fifth athlete running 30:22.18. Cory MCcClung ran a 30:46.10 while freshman Nathan Crews ran a 31:30.30 in the regular season finale.
Standout Performances
-Parker's 28:35.60 was just eight seconds off his best time this season at the Furman Classic in the first 8k of the season.
Inside the Numbers
-Howell set a personal record in the race (28:58.59) breaking his personal best in the 8k of 29:15.05 set at the Furman Classic.
News & Notes
-The Lions finished one spot behind Covenant College who will be the Lions biggest competition in two weeks at the USA South Championship Meet. The Scots and Lions finished in a tie as far as points go with 257 each, but the Scots finished ahead of the Lions with their number 1 runner, number 2 runner and number 5 runner taking the 3-2 advantage on the tie-breaker.
Up Next
Piedmont will have one week off before the USA South Conference Championship Meet taking place on October 31 in Greensboro, North Carolina. The women will race a 6k at 11:00 a.m. while the men's 8k will begin at noon.
