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The Cavalier track teams wrapped up their regular season at the 2008 AAC Track & Field Championships held this year on the campus of Lees McCrae in Banner Elk, NC. Completing his first season as a Cavalier, Wilbourn Kosgei ends this year as the AAC Conference Champion in the 1500 meter (4:07.5) and runner-up in the 800 meter (1:56.6). King College went on to win the men's and women's team championship, while Montreat finished 5th with both the men and the women. Freshman Eric Bowers also had a solid performance in the 400 meter run (51.82) finishing 5th overall. “After looking back at our performances, I don’t know how much better we could’ve done. All our athletes never give anything than their best. Most of them weren’t pleased with their efforts, but competitors never are. I think the elevation had something to do with our sub-par times, but again, I know they worked hard this weekend,” said Coach Larios.
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Montreat College athletics is excited to announce the signing of two-sport star, Lindsay Mizok. Mizok, 5'-8", hails from Weddington High School where she has excelled on their girl's basketball team and cross country team. Coach Craig Jackson is thrilled to have Mizok on his Lady Cavalier squad next season, "We're very excited to have someone of Lindsay’s talent level, character, and work ethic join the Montreat basketball family. She's a welcomed addition to our program and we expect good things from her in the future. She will give us more depth, shooting, and defense at the two and three positions." Mizok will also run cross country in the fall for Coach Larios, "Lindsay will give us more depth as well. She comes from a successful program in high school and I have no doubts that she will continue to progress at the college level." Mizok has competed at the cross country state championships multiple times and will bring great experience to the Lady Cavalier cross country team that finished 3rd last season at the NAIA Region XII Championships.
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The Montreat College track team participated this weekend at Duke University's ASICS Invitational. In her first official track meet since recovering from being ill, Elyse Gildernew (Fr., Lookout Mt, GA) had a solid 1500m race, setting a new personal best of 5:28.39. "It was great to see Elyse compete again. The 1500 seems like such a great event for her down the road," said Coach Larios. Gildernew also competed in the 5000m run on Saturday, running 22:19. Also running well for the men was sophomore Wilbourn Kosgei (Eldoret, Kenya). Kosgei finished 3rd out of 63 runners in the 1500m development run (4:01.27), and he also finished 3rd out of 104 runners in the 800m run on Saturday, clocking 1:55.32.
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For the second consecutive week, the Montreat College track team has earned an AAC Athlete of the Week recognition. Last week it was Wilbourn Kosgei (So., Eldoret, Kenya) for his 5000m national qualifying run, which is the fastest 5000m by an AAC runner thus far. This week, it is Ben Hall (Fr., Columbus, NC) who garnered the top AAC honor by clocking the fastest 10,000 meter run by an AAC runner this weekend at the Raleigh Relays. His time of 33:09.45 currently ranks him at the top of the conference in the this event. Hall has already qualified for the NAIA National Marathon Championships by clocking 1:16.07 and finishing fourth at the Myrtle Beach Half Marathon back in February. The NAIA National Championships will be held this May in St. Louis, Missouri.
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The young Cavalier track team continued to perform well this weekend at the exclusive NC State Raleigh Relays. With 103 colleges and universities participating, mostly NCAA D-I teams and many professional athletes, Montreat continued its preparation for the AAC and NAIA Championships. Setting a new personal best mark in the 400m was freshman Cavalier Eric Bowers (Lancaster, Pa). Bowers ran 51.69 to finish 6th in his respected heat. This was a great improvement from last week's 53.17. Distance star Wilbourn Kosgei (Eldoret, Kenya) had another solid performance in a more tactical 5000m race, running 15:14.83 and finishing in 7th of 23 runners in his heat.
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The Cavalier track teams set more school records and qualified one more athlete for the NAIA National Track & Field Championships this past weekend. The men were represented by Wilbourn Kosgei (So., Eldoret, Kenya), Ben Hall (Fr., Columbus, NC), and freshman Eric Bowers (Lancaster, PA) at the 49er Classic Invitational held at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte this past weekend. Kosgei set a new Montreat College 5000m record with his national championship qualifying run of 15:11.74 in the 5000 meter run (4:53 per mile pace). For his 8th place finish in a heavily D-I contended race, Kosgei was honored as the AAC Runner of the Week.
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For her 2nd place finish in the women's division of the Myrtle Beach Half-Marathon, Talisa Bishop (Jr., Interlachen, Fl) has been selected as the AAC Female Track Athlete of the Week. Out of nearly 3,000 runners, Talisa finished 50th overall. Her official time of 1:26.59 was an "A" national qualifying standard; in fact, it was nearly six minutes faster than the qualifying standard (1:33). Her performance earned her the right to participate at this year's NAIA National Outdoor Track & Field Championship, in St. Louis, MO, May 22-24. "This is a great honor for Talisa," said Coach Larios. "She's had a few sub-par races this spring so far, so it was great to see her bounce back and run such a tremendous race. She has set a high goal for herself this year in the marathon, and this small recognition is a simple reminder that she is doing what she needs to do to get there."
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Myrtle Beach, SC- With nearly perfect running conditions and high hopes, Montreat’s track team made school history by qualifying three track members for the NAIA National Track & Field Championships to be held in St. Louis, MO, on May 22-24th. Ben Hall, Talisa Bishop, and Arilicia Adkins earned the right to compete at this year’s marathon championship event by hitting the NAIA’s “A” and “B” qualifying standards. “This was a great day for our program. All of our team has been working so hard… it’s always nice for them to see the fruit of their labor,” said Head Coach Jose Larios. The small team chose the 2008 Myrtle Beach Half Marathon as their targeted race due to its fast and flat 13.1 mile course, and its traditionally great running weather. Out of nearly 3,000 runners, Ben Hall (Fr.,Columbus, NC/ Polk County High) finished fourth overall in a spectacular time of 1:16:07; his time, which averages out to 5:49.9 seconds per mile, is an NAIA “B” qualifying standard. “This was awesome for Ben… he barely missed the qualifying mark in December, so I was really happy for him today,” added Larios.
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The Cavalier track & field team found time away from running to give back to its local community by spending last Saturday with Habitat for Humanity of Asheville. The team pulled out early from McAlister Saturday morning and hit the construction site at 8:30 sharp. The team spent the early morning hours pulling nails, cleaning construction debris, and moving lumber. The home, in west Asheville, is in the late stages of construction and is already set to go toward a wonderfully deserving family. "It was tiring," said freshman distance runner Elyse Gildernew (Lookout Mt, Ga.), "but I enjoyed being a part of a project like this… knowing that a deserving family will benefit from our work. As a daughter of a contractor, I was amazed at how fast Habitat works in servicing our community."
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Yesterday, Friday February 1st, at the Black Mountain Campus the track team had one of its best performances of the year, though it had little to do with racing. The Cavalier track team presented Adam Ripley and his Least-of-These Ministry a check for $500 to be used to purchase much needed food. “This couldn’t have come at a better time. We had a great chapel presentation today centered on compassion,” said Coach Larios, “and so as a team, to provide this small gift to Adam [an ex-Cavalier cross country runner] and his compassionate ministry is very special.” Freshman leader Ben Hall prayed over the presentation asking God to bless the money so that many of Asheville’s homeless could somehow hear the Gospel through Adam’s ministry. Least-of-These is a non-profit organization that was created by Adam and some Montreat students to provide a warm breakfast for the homeless in Asheville. On an average morning, Adam’s ministry provides pancakes, eggs, sausage, and coffee to nearly 150 of Asheville’s homeless population.
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Black Mountain, NC-- Wilbourn Kosgei has a lot on his mind while making his way around Montreat College’s cross country trails each day. The runner’s Kenyan homeland is exploding with political strife as opposition leaders protest recent election results. His wife, Eunice, and 4-year-old child, Evans, are still in Eldoret, Kenya, where some of the nation’s nastiest fighting broke out recently. Many other family members live nearby as well. “I think of them when I’m running,” said Kosgei, one of Montreat’s newest track and cross country team members. “I think, ‘I am doing this so I can support them.’ I am very concerned because there is a lot of instability there.”
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For the first time in many years, Montreat College will begin its track & field season this Saturday at the Niswonger Invitational on the campus of East Tennessee State University. The 2008 team will be represented by Talisa Bishop (Jr., Interlachen, FL) in the women’s 5000m race (8:00am). The remainder of the team will wait until next month at Appalachian State to showcase their talent. Another indoor meet on ticket for this season is the Clemson Invitational. The 2008 Outdoor season will include Western Carolina, the Drake Relays, Florida State Invitational, the Myrtle Beach Half-Marathon, Clemson Invitational, and the Appalachian Athletic Conference Championship (location to TBA).
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On December 16th, a few of Montreat College's distance runners joined a huge field of competitors for the 2007 Jacksonville Half-Marathon. Freshman Ben Hall, running in his first ever half-marathon, finished 7th overall out of 1300 total finishers in an impressive 1:18:30. Hall was only 50 seconds off of the NAIA Track & Field's "B" standard for qualifying for the NAIA Marathon Championships. "I was incredibly pleased with Ben's effort. Given that this is his first ever half-marathon, and the miserable weather, I thought he did a fantastic job," said Coach Larios.
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The Montreat College Cross Country teams hosted the 2007 All-Comers 5K Cross Country Challenge on Sunday, under a beautiful December sky. Nearly 90 competitors enjoyed the manicured cross country course located on Montreat's Black Mountain Campus. This race was held in order to race funds for two great ministries: Least of Thees and Compassion International. "Our team wanted to raise some money, not for our needs, but for the needs of these great ministries," said Head Coach Jose Larios, "We could not have raised the money we did without the major support of The Settings and The Valley Runners Club. These two organizations provided great support for this cause. I think everyone enjoyed this race, especially knowing that the proceeds were going to such great causes."
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Running in her third Cross Country National Championship, Talisa Bishop performed her career best race as a Montreat Lady Cavalier this weekend at the rolling Wayne Dannehl Cross Country Course held on the campus of The University of Wisconsin-Parkside. Bishop completed the 3.1 mile race in 18:51, good enough to land her the 63rd spot among the NAIA’s national competitors (258 total runners). Simon Fraser University won its 5th consecutive women’s championship with an impressive 99 points, followed by Cedarville University. “Talisa ran an amazing race today. I’m really proud of her… she had a few bumps in her training this year with sickness and a couple of twisted ankles, so it was great to see her culminate a great comeback season like she has this year,” said Head Coach Jose Larios.
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The cross country program at Montreat College concluded a great season as they set more Montreat all-time records, and it will be represented for the first time at the NAIA National Championships at Kenosha, Wisconsin by Talisa Bishop (Jr., Interlachen, FL). Bishop managed to finish 11th overall on chilly morning in 19:10.1 for the 5000m course (3.1 miles). The NAIA Region XII meet, held at Sycamore Shoals State Park in Elizabethton, TN, also served as the AAC championship meet. “I think we ran as well as we could've considering the fitness levels from which we started,” said Coach Larios, “I think the entire field ran well, but I really think we had some great improvements from August. Today we announced to the AAC and the region that Montreat is going to be a contender in the years to come… our runners ran admirably today!” By virtue of her finish, Talisa Bishop was named to the AAC All-Conference team while Ben Hall, Elyse Gildernew, and Kirsten Gnagy were named to the AAC All-Freshman team. The Lady Cavaliers had a tremendous team showing as they finished 3rd out of 11 teams.
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The men's and women's cross country teams competed very well this weekend at the 2007 Southeastern Classic held on Vanderbilt University's home cross country course, Vaughn Park in Nashville, TN. "This was a great opportunity to see most of our AAC and Regional competition," said Coach Larios, "I think we faired very well today, especially with our past 14 days of training. For most, the past two weeks have been the toughest in terms of volume and intensity... so having run well with tired legs bodes great results for our team." The Lady Cavs finished in 13th place out of 22 schools, finishing ahead UVA-Wise, Bryan College and Berea College. The men were once again led by freshman Ben Hall. Hall completed the 8K course in his second fastest time of the year, 29:00.85.
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Lining up against the Universities of Miami, Charlotte, East Tennessee State, Furman, and many other larger schools, Montreat ran a very competitive race this Saturday at the 35th annual Furman Cross Country Invitational. “Again, some runners felt a bit out of place lining up against many larger universities… some may have been a bit overwhelmed, but that is the great thing about small college programs like ours. We have the opportunity to line up against the most premier athletic programs in the country- in the end, we are all racing individual races,” said Head Coach Jose Larios, “our runners will need to get used to lining up against larger schools. They also need to learn that they put on their shoes exactly the same way we do and we have to want to compete at a higher level.”
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The Montreat cross country teams continued their preparation for the NAIA Region XII Championships by racing at this weekend’s Mountain Top Classic, hosted by Covenant College. “This has to be one of the toughest courses we will probably ever race on,” said Head Coach Jose Larios, “not only was it a tough course, it was rather hot and humid… a couple of Covenant runners needed medical attention due to overheating issues, thankfully they were fine. The conditions were tough, but I was really proud of the way Montreat ran today.” Leading the Lady Cavs once again was Talisa Bishop, winning her first ever cross country race of her career. Bishop completed the brutal course in 20:53.65, overtaking University of West Georgia’s Katie Perkins by 17 seconds. Also making a noise in the AAC and Regional rankings was senior Megan Riser with her 5th place finish in 21:45.37.
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Talisa Bishop and Ben Hall set new school records for Montreat College at this weekend’s highly coveted Greater Louisville Classic. With nearly 50 colleges and universities competing in four different races, Montreat proved to be heading in the right direction. Leading the women’s team again was Talisa Bishop. Bishop completed the 5K course in 19:33.69, breaking the new school record by nearly one minute. “Talisa took the lead of the Blue Race around the one mile marker… she wanted to test her fitness level. She will agree that her racing skills are a little rusty, but this was a solid performance nonetheless,” said Coach Larios. Bishop finished 3rd out of 135 runners. The women’s team finished 11th out of 15 teams in the Blue Race, which included many NCAA teams. One of the early season highlights by the Lady Cavs included defeating NAIA Region XII's #5 ranked Berea College along the way.
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Montreat's cross country teams hit the road after a four week hiatus from racing. Both teams competed at the August 29th Western Carolina Cross Country Invitational; since then, the team has been training diligently in hopes of preparing for the Region XII/AAC Championships in November. "It all comes down to the regional meet," said Head Coach Jose Larios, "all these other races are great opportunities to measure fitness and to see how the runners are adapting to the training. For many, this meet will be a little overwhelming, but we need to start thinking big and looking at competing at a much higher level." Montreat will be running at one of the top cross country races in the nation with teams such as the University of Louisville (#15 NCAA D-I), Wake Forest, Vanderbilt, Georgia Tech, and Univ. of Tennessee.
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Talisa Bishop led all Montreat performers- in her second race of the night. The women's cross country team found themselves racing twice in one night at the Western Carolina XC Invite Friday night as lightning caused them to stop and seek shelter with just over one mile into the Lady Cavs' first race of the year.
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