Spartanburg Cross Country Team Ends Regular Season with Strong Fifth-Place Finish at Upstate Invite

Spartanburg Concludes Regular Cross Country Season with an Impressively Solid Finish

Hey there folks! As the sun rose upon the city of Spartanburg, South Carolina on the chilly Saturday morning of October 19, 2024, the much-awaited moment had finally arrived as the city’s cross country regular season was about to conclude. Here’s how it all unfolded.

What caught everyone’s eye was none other than South Carolina Cross Country which stepped up in a grand way, claiming a satisfying fifth-place finish in the arduously contested Upstate Invite.

An enthralling pack of six remarkably talented student-athletes from Carolina stepped forward for the last race before the big SEC Championship expected to happen in November. And their performance surely was an eye-catcher!

Standout Performers in the Race

The star of the day was Ella Zeigler who was checking into her season debut race and boy did she make an impression! Zeigler led the charge for the Garnet & Black, crossing the line with a time of 18:12.3, securing a commendable 12th place.

Next up was Elle Mehltretter, who had a pretty exciting day, as it was her first collegiate 5K event. And she didn’t disappoint either! Mehltretter ran a powerful 18:28.8, finishing 21st overall.

But let’s not forget Maddie White, the third fastest Gamecock, who scored 23rd place. She made a new personal best in the 5K, squeezing off a clear two-minute gap from her previous personal record by clocking an impressive 18:31.2.

Debutante Hayden Withers claimed the clock at a promising 18:43.1, securing the 31st spot for Carolina.

Rounding up the Carolina pack, Maddie Smith chipped in her personal best time of 19:08.0 to finish 44th overall, wrapping up the final scoring time for the Gamecocks.

Laying the Tracks for the Championship

In the grand scheme of things, the team title was scooped up by Emory with a total of 34 points. Following close were Jacksonville State with 86 points and UNC Asheville securing a position in the top three by piling up 103 points.

Carolina, having bagged 126 points, now gears up for the upcoming chills of the 2024 SEC Cross Country Championship slated to be held on Friday, the first of November at 10:15 a.m. in College Station, Texas. Here’s to wishing them luck!