Sept. 11, 2006

Clemson, S.C. - Led by junior Kerrie Savery's second-place run, Western Carolina's women's cross country team put three runners in the top 10 to score a team second place finish at the Clemson Cross Country Invitational last Saturday. Senior Dan Fassinger tallied the lone top 10 for Western's men as the Catamounts took third place overall in the meet.

The South Carolina Gamecocks won the team title on the women's side with 31 points. Western just edged out Gardner-Webb for second by one point, 48-to-49, followed by South Carolina State in fourth and Piedmont College in fifth. The host Clemson Tigers won the men's team crown with 19 points, followed by Gardner-Webb in second with 54 points and WCU in third, ten points in arrears. South Carolina State was fourth, with Piedmont College rounding out the field in fifth.

Savery's time of 18:45 in the women's 5-K run was just nine-seconds off the individual winner, Michele Milner of Gardner-Webb who tripped the tape first at 18:36. Savery, a native of Palm Harbor, Fla., posted the 11th-best 5-K time in WCU school history on Saturday, leading a trio of Catamounts in the top 10. Sophomore Sky Aiello ran her best collegiate time of 19:36 to place seventh, edging out freshman teammate Lindsay Groce who finished eighth just half a second back. Aiello and Groce tied for the 30th-best top time in school history.

Rounding out Western's women was freshman Sara Dickson in 16th (20:38), sophomore Ann Wagner in 18th (20:51), freshman Brittany Beeker in 21st (21:09), freshman Annie Bailey in 29th (22:16), and sophomore Jenna Hester in 31st with a time of 22:42.

On the men's side, Fassinger turned the 8-K course in 26:48 to finish 10th overall, but was scored in the ninth position in terms of team scoring. He was followed by freshman Stephen Hammond in 14th with a time of 28:14 in his first collegiate event. Another first-year runner, Jake Clawson, ran 16th (28:22) followed by sophomore teammate Field Miller in 17th with a time of 28:40.

The Catamounts also captured positions 20-through-23 as sophomore Jesse Ramirez (29:03), Noah Taylor (29:12), freshman Jamie McCann (29:36), and junior Dylan Hermelee (29:49) all crossed the line in sequential order, separated by a total of 46 seconds.

Western returns to action this Friday, Sept. 15, hosting the Western Carolina Open on-campus in Cullowhee. Teams from Georgia, Appalachian State, UNC Asheville, Gardner-Webb, East Tennessee State and Milligan College will be on had with a start time of 5:00 pm. This year's event is WCU's first after a one-year hiatus with the new trail winding around the WCU campus, both beginning and ending near the Catamount Athletic Complex track.

Clemson Invitational Final Results:

Women's Team Results
1. South Carolina       31
2. WESTERN CAROLINA     48
3. Gardner-Webb         49
4. South Carolina St.  121
5. Piedmont Coll.      144

Western Carolina Women's 5-K Finishers
 2. Kerrie Savery       18:45
 7. Skye Aiello         19:36
 8. Lindsay Groce       19:36
16. Sara Dickson        20:38
18. Ann Wagner          20:51
29. Annie Bailey        22:16
31. Jenna Hester        22:42

Men's Team Results
1. Clemson              19
2. Gardner-Webb         54
3. WESTERN CAROLINA     64
4. South Carolina St.  121
5. Piedmont Coll.      134

Western Carolina Men's 8-K Finishers
10. Dan Fassinger       26:48
14. Stephen Hammond     28:14
16. Jake Clawson        28:22
17. Field Miller        28:40
20. Jesse Ramirez       29:03
21. Noah Taylor         29:12
22. Jamie McCann        29:36
23. Dylan Hermelee      29:49

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Catamount Sports Cross Country