Friday, October 29
Mobile, Ala.
11 a.m.
Georgia Southern University
vs
Sun Belt Championship
The Eagles compete at the Sun Belt Championships Friday.
XC Preview: Eagles Set for Sun Belt Championship
10/26/2021 7:44:00 PM | Track & Field/XC
The race is set for 11 a.m. ET Friday in Mobile.
STATESBORO – The Georgia Southern cross country team will compete in the Sun Belt Conference Cross Country Championships Friday, Oct. 29, at Brookley By The Bay in Mobile, Alabama. The 5K race is set to begin at 11 a.m. ET and will be broadcast live on ESPN+.
Winners of two meets this fall, the Eagles will look to improve on their 10th-place finish at last year's championship. Georgia Southern's best finish since joining the Sun Belt in 2014 came in 2016, when the Eagles placed sixth. The race will be held on the same course as last year, but all the Georgia Southern entries will be running it for the first time.
"Coach Quintin Thurman has done a great job of getting them ready to run, and they have gained some great experience throughout the season," said Georgia Southern head coach Kelly Carter. "We want them to understand that they are ready to compete and to go out there and do the best they can and let their talent prevail."
Georgia Southern is coming off a team win at the GATA XC Classic, the Eagles' home event, Oct. 15. The Eagles scored 34 points, besting second-place Jacksonville, which had the top two finishers, by a point. Katie Ranck finished third, Isabel Ptacek placed fifth, Reese Connelly was sixth, Isabel Clayton was ninth and Ansley Fullen took 12th.
Clayton ran a personal best, and Ptacek ran the second-fastest time of her career. Ranck, Connelly and Fullen, all freshmen, ran their fastest times of the season.
Arkansas State is the two-time defending champion and was picked to win again in the Preseason Coaches Poll, which was announced in September. Appalachian State was picked second with five first-place votes. The Eagles were picked ninth.
Georgia Southern Entries
Isabel Clayton
Reese Connelly
Ansley Fullen
Isabel Ptacek
Katie Ranck
Melanie Tribick
Ella Zierdt
Winners of two meets this fall, the Eagles will look to improve on their 10th-place finish at last year's championship. Georgia Southern's best finish since joining the Sun Belt in 2014 came in 2016, when the Eagles placed sixth. The race will be held on the same course as last year, but all the Georgia Southern entries will be running it for the first time.
"Coach Quintin Thurman has done a great job of getting them ready to run, and they have gained some great experience throughout the season," said Georgia Southern head coach Kelly Carter. "We want them to understand that they are ready to compete and to go out there and do the best they can and let their talent prevail."
Georgia Southern is coming off a team win at the GATA XC Classic, the Eagles' home event, Oct. 15. The Eagles scored 34 points, besting second-place Jacksonville, which had the top two finishers, by a point. Katie Ranck finished third, Isabel Ptacek placed fifth, Reese Connelly was sixth, Isabel Clayton was ninth and Ansley Fullen took 12th.
Clayton ran a personal best, and Ptacek ran the second-fastest time of her career. Ranck, Connelly and Fullen, all freshmen, ran their fastest times of the season.
Arkansas State is the two-time defending champion and was picked to win again in the Preseason Coaches Poll, which was announced in September. Appalachian State was picked second with five first-place votes. The Eagles were picked ninth.
Georgia Southern Entries
Isabel Clayton
Reese Connelly
Ansley Fullen
Isabel Ptacek
Katie Ranck
Melanie Tribick
Ella Zierdt
Players Mentioned
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