October 15, 2010

Ndhlovu Matches School Record To Pace UNCP At Royals Cross Country Challenge

CHARLOTTE – Sophomore Pardon Ndhlovu matched his own school record time of 24:35 in the 8K run to lead a solid performance for the UNCP men's cross country team as the Braves finished 16th of 22 teams at the high-caliber Royals Cross Country Challenge on Friday at Charlotte's McAlpine Creek Park.

Ndhlovu, who posted the same mark in shattering a 22-year old school record last season at the Great American Cross Country Invitational, crossed the line 11 seconds off the pace in eighth place. Zachary Bayless, who already cemented himself in the UNCP record books with a time of 26:03 in the 8K earlier this season, turned in the 15th-fastest time on Friday, crossing the finish line in 57th place with a mark of 26:07. Freshman Chris Schroll finished in 153rd place with a time of 27:40, while Kevin Clancy registered a mark of 27:58 to finish 162nd and Thomas McDonough ran a time of 29:27 to cross the line in 191st place.

Columbus State's Meshack Koyiaki took top honors with a time of 24:12, while Shorter's Paul Chelimo (24:15) and Queens' Michael Crouch (24:17) crossed in second and third place, respectively. Queens took the overall team title with 66 points, UNC Greensboro posted 74 points to finish second and Georgia Tech rounded off the top three team finishers with 81 points. The race featured 23 teams and 202 of the region's top runners from a littering of teams across NCAA Divisions I, II and III.

The Braves will return to action again on October 23 when the squad makes the trek to Evans, Ga., to take part in the Augusta State Tri-Meet Invitational. The men's race is set to begin at 10:30 a.m. at Blanchard Woods Park – the site of this year's PBC Men's Cross Country Championships.

UNCP Results:
Pardon Ndhlovu (8th, 24:35.3)
Zach Bayless (57th, 26:07.6)
Chris Schroll (153rd, 27:40.4)
Kevin Clancy (162nd, 27:58.6)
Thomas McDonough (191st, 29:27.6)

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