Schroll, Ndhlovu Compete At NCAA Championships

SPOKANE, Wash. – Sophomore Chris Schroll and Pardon Ndhlovu were the two runners from the UNCP men's cross country team to compete on the snow covered course at the 2011 NCAA II National Championship on Saturday afternoon at Plantes Ferry Athletic Complex.

Schroll, a Puyallup, Wash., native, competed in his first national championship race after being named to the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) all-region team due to his fourth place finish at the regional race. He finished 77th overall, while Ndhlovu crossed the finish line with a time of 33:53.7 as the 125th finisher. This was the third appearance for the junior as he grabbed all-American honors his freshman year. 

Ndhlovu, a Zimbabwe native, was named USTFCCCA Male Athlete of the Year for the Southeast Region as well as an all-region runner as he was the top finisher in regional meet. Besides collecting his first ever region title, he has posted three other first place finishes this season including the Peach Belt Conference Championship.

Western State finished first as a team with 27 points followed by Adams State and Grand Valley State with 69 and 100 points, respectively. Ryan Haebe of Western State won the race by finishing with a time of 30:45.1.

Ndhlovu and Schroll finished out the cross country season as the team's top two runners.