Teams First Year Earns Third in MDJUCO, Second in Regional Competitions
The College of Southern Marylands Mens and Womens Cross-Country teams earned National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) Region XX runner-up for Division I and placed third in Maryland Junior College Conference (MDJUCO) at the championship meet Oct. 25 at Anne Arundel Community College. Two runners earned individual medals and spots at the national championships.
Jacqueline Clark of La Plata placed first overall in both the Region XX and MDJUCO championships in the 5K race for women with a time of 20:41. A graduate of St. Marys Ryken High School, Clark aspires to complete at nationals in under 18:30. A soccer player turned runner, Clark says the sport keeps her grounded.
Running helps me stay focused, she said. It isnt easy, and thats what makes it worth something. Nothing worth having is easy.
Christopher Jones of Waldorf placed first in the Region XX and second in the MDJUCO championship for the 8K race for men with a time of 28:17. Jones, who comes from a family of runners, didnt start running until he was a freshman at North Point High School, he said.
I played baseball when I was younger, he said. It wasnt until I ran a race in middle school that I realized I was good at running, so when I went into high school, I joined the track and cross-country teams.
Head Coach Chris Tuttle says that he and Assistant Coach Josh Trice could not be any happier with the efforts put forth by both teams this season.
This performance, particularly for the mens team, now sets the bar high for upcoming years. Next year we will be looking towards earning the regional team title, Tuttle said.
CSMs cross-country teams will be competing in the NJCAA National Meet on Nov. 8 in Levelland, Texas. For information on cross-country and other athletics at the college, visit http://csmd.edu/athletics/athleticshomepage.html.