By Jacob Most
Nov. 9, 2012 –
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Cally Macumber continued to show scintillating form when she won her second-straight race, the NCAA Southeast Regional at McAlpine Creek Park on Friday.
Macumber flew across the 6,000 meter course in 20:10.98, a time less than two seconds off her season-best time at that distance.
Chelsea Oswald also enjoyed a banner day with a second-consecutive third-place performance to give the Wildcats a pair of podium finishers for the second time in a row. The senior lowered her previous best 6K time by 14 seconds.
Both Macumber and Oswald qualified for the NCAA Championships by virtue of finishing inside the individual top four.
Macumber, a junior in cross country, has now won three races this season, and she has finished in the top 10 at every meet she has entered.
Oswald extended her season-long streak of top-25 finishes to six. The senior has placed inside the top 10 at all but one competition in 2012.
Anna Bostrom and Allison Peare both contributed top-25 finishes to help the Kentucky women’s team finish fourth overall in a field of 37 teams.
Macumber, Oswald, Peare and Bostrom were all named to the All-Southeast Region Team, tying Kentucky with Duke for the most All-Region qualifiers. The women’s race featured 255 runners.
“To have four All-Region runners on our team is absolutely outstanding,” women’s cross country coach Hakon DeVries said. “They competed so well. Cally and Chelsea continue to impress me with their racing instincts and ability.
“I’m very happy they will be representing the University of Kentucky next week. It will be the first appearance at an NCAA Championship for each of them. I know they will have the same high expectations that I do.”
Luis Orta led the men’s team to a tie for 11th-place overall with a time of 30:08.32 more than 30 seconds faster than his time at regionals last season. The senior qualified for the All-Region team as 228 runners from 34 teams competed in the men’s race.
Walter Luttrell placed 67th (31:43.45), Adam Kahleifeh finished 77th. (31:53.00), Stacey Eden came in 87th (32:13.87) and Mackay Wilson was 92nd (32:18.14) to round out the top 100 UK finishers.
The women’s team improved its overall finish by eight spots from last season, and the men placed four spots higher than in 2011.
Macumber and Oswald will race at the NCAA Championships in Louisville on Saturday, Nov. 17.
Follow the Wildcats on Twitter and Instagram @KentuckyTrack.
NCAA Southeast Regionals
McAlpine Creek Park
Charlotte, N.C. | Nov. 9, 2012
Men’s Team Results (10K)
:
T-11. Kentucky – 335
Women’s Team Results (5K)
:
4. Kentucky – 173
Kentucky Men’s Individual Results (overall finish):
12. Luis Orta – 30:08.32
67. Walter Luttrell – 31:43.45
77. Adam Kahleifeh – 31:53.00
87. Stacey Eden – 32:13.87
92. Mackay Wilson – 32:18.14
139. Matt Hillenbrand – 33:14.67
189. James Brown – 34:24.71
Kentucky Women’s Individual Results (overall finish):
1. Cally Macumber – 20:10.98
3. Chelsea Oswald – 20:18.70
22. Allison Peare – 21:10.21
23. Anna Bostrom – 21:11.81
124. Megan Wright – 22:44.21
136. Hiruni Wijayaratne – 22:54.22
153. Mary Kate Ponder – 23:11.36
