PBC YEARBOOK
Men’s Cross Country
UNC Pembroke, Biwott Claim PBC Men’s Cross Country Championships
GAINESVILLE, GA – The UNC Pembroke men’s cross country team first
began competing in the PBC championship in the second year of the
league in 1992. In 23 previous events, the Braves were unable to
finish in the top spot. On the day of the 25th PBC men’s championship, UNCP broke through with all five of their scoring runners placing
in the top 15 to win the title.
In the individual side, Young Harris’ Mathew Biwott won a
thrilling showdown over Augusta University’s Nick Del Guercio to
claim the Individual Championship.
After finishing third in 2013 and second in 2014, the Braves put
it all together on Saturday the course on the University of North Georgia Gainesville campus. The Braves scored 49 point to edge Augusta
University by 15 and defending champion Columbus State by 28.
Georgia College was fourth and Flagler fifth in the team standings.
Senior Tim Sigmon was part of a group of six runners that broke
away early and set the pace over the 8k course. Sigmon finished fifth
overall with a time of 26:07.3 with teammate Wilson Pearson sixth
in 26:23.0. Joel Johnston was ninth in 26:38 with Nate Nash 14th in
27:00.4 and Nebiyou Aynu in 15th in 27:02.3. All five runners were
named All-Conference.
Additionally UNCP freshman Broderick Baugess was named the
PBC Freshman of the Year as the top finishing newcomer. He finished
19th in a time of 27:11.7.
Biwott becomes the first Young Harris runner to win the
Individual Championship. The sophomore from Iten, Kenya, was in
a two-man race with Del Gurecio over the last ½ mile. Del Guercio
2015-16
moved ahead with under 300 yards to go, but Biwott began a sprint
to the finish to win by three seconds. Biwott’s time of 25:49.5 was his
second-fastest 8k of the season.
The top 15 finishers in the race were named PBC All-Conference.
Del Guercio was named the PBC Runner of the Year in a vote of the
league’s head coaches taken before Saturday’s event.
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YHC’ Biwott, AU’s Del Guercio Qualify for NCAA Men’s
Cross Country Championships
WINGATE, NC – Young Harris’ Mathew Biwott and Augusta University’s
Nick Del Guercio both qualified as individuals for the NCAA National
Championships with their finishes on Saturday in the southeast
regional. UNC Pembroke was the highest-finishing squad in the team
standings in fourth place, finishing just outside of a top three spot that
would have sent them to the finals.
Augusta University was fifth in the team standings with Columbus State sixth and Georgia College seventh. Mt. Olive, Mars Hill and
Queens earned the spots for the national championships.
Young Harris College had its best ever performance at the NCAA
Division II Southeast Regional. The Mountain Lions not only saw their
best-ever team finish- 10th - at the meet, but saw one of their runners
qualify for the NCAA Division II National Championships Nov. 21 in
Joplin, Missouri.
Young Harris tallied 332 points in the 8K race to finish in 10th
place out of 22 teams.
Sophomore Mathew Biwott, which won the Peach Belt Conference Championship Oct. 24, earned an individual berth to nationals
as the top runner not from one of the three advancing teams. Biwott
earned USTFCCCA All-Region honors as he finished in fifth place overall
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