SVU women's cross country team repeats as national champs

LAKE PLACID, N.Y. — The Southern Virginia women's cross country team has repeated as the United States Collegiate Athletic Association national champions.

"We ran a great race today," second-year coach Logan Davis said in a press release. "Our goal and focus all season long has been repeating as national champions. Today was especially rewarding since this was by far the toughest and deepest meet the USCAA has ever held."

Southern Virginia women's cross country has now captured 11 USCAA national titles over the past 15 years.

The Knights defended their 2011 crown by finishing a snowy 6-kilometer course in upstate New York ahead of 16 other small-college teams. The national meet was the USCAA's largest to date, featuring 29 different schools, 17 complete teams and 169 total runners. SVU's Macfarlane-Nielsen (Yorktown, Va.) led the Knights for the first time in her 3-year collegiate career with a personal record and fourth overall finish.

Southern Virginia women's cross country team, which features 10 LDS runners from six different states, had a team total of 67 points on Friday — 27 points ahead of second-place finisher Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College.

Southern Virginia's highest overall finisher of the day was returned missionary Patrick Gonzalez (Riverside, Calif.), who placed third overall in the 26-team, 182-runner men's race. His top-five finish placed Gonzalez on the All-American First Team.

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