SPARTANBURG, S.C. – High Point University men's cross country placed second at the Big South Conference Championships on Friday morning at Milliken Research Park, with seven runners finishing in the top 20 of the men's 8k.

Director of Track & Field and Cross Country Remy Tamer: "The men's race was heartbreaking. The win was within reach, but it slipped away. Championships are won and lost as a team, not by individuals, so everyone – from the coaches to the last runner – shares responsibility. We have to learn from this. Overall, I thought the men raced well. It wasn't perfect, and we were missing a couple of key runners, but those competing brought good energy and handled the pressure professionally. Charleston Southern is a strong team that runs well as a pack. We faltered at a few small but critical moments, and that was enough to determine the outcome. I believe we're better than this result, but we have to own it and choose to turn the disappointment into motivation. We still have plenty to be proud of. Avery Crowell ran well and has put himself in position to win. Blake Nicholson and Max Bonilla secured their spots in our top five and passed key opponents late to regain points. Jackson Keefer went with Avery and showed his willingness to do what it takes for his teammates and a championship. Freshman Bence Acsádi also stepped up and put himself in a key position, though I believe he can finish even higher and pass more opposing runners. We have more to show. Like individual voices in a chorus, each runner contributes to the team's performance. We need to come together, turn this heartbreak into fuel, and come back ready next year."

Five Panthers finished in the top 10, showcasing the team's depth: senior Avery Crowell, freshman Bence Acsádi, graduate student Jackson Keefer, and sophomores Max Bonilla and Blake Nicholson.

Crowell paced High Point in fourth at 24:06.9, followed by Acsádi in fifth at 24:08.1. Jackson Keefer recorded his best finish of the season, placing sixth in 24:17.0. Max Bonilla took seventh in 24:25.2, and Blake Nicholson finished eighth in 24:26.3. Simon Triezenberg followed in 14th at 24:42.7.

The top seven finishers earned first-team all-conference honors, and the next seven made the second team. Crowell, Acsádi, Keefer, and Bonilla received first-team recognition, while Nicholson and Triezenberg earned second-team honors.

Gitch Hayes finished 15th in 24:50.3. Rounding out High Point's 10 runners were Gavin Stevens in 22nd (25:10.7), Clark LaLomia in 35th (25:47.8), and Brayden Davis in 42nd (26:08.7).
 
Final Team Results
1 – Charleston Southern (25)
2 – High Point (30)
3 – Radford (104)
4 – UNC Asheville (111)
5 – USC Upstate (160)
6 – Longwood (162)
7 – Presbyterian (215)
8 – Winthrop (229)
9 – Gardner-Webb (237)

 
All-Conference (Top 14 Finishers)

First-Team
Martin Iriondo, Charleston Southern
Griffin Gillespie, Charleston Southern
Elijah Pabon, Charleston Southern
Avery Crowell, High Point
Bence Acsádi, High Point
Jackson Keefer, High Point
Max Bonilla, High Point
 
Second-Team
Blake Nicholson, High Point
Collin Kleinhen, Charleston Southern
William Reid, Charleston Southern
Garrison Fisher, Presbyterian
Andrew Cleland, Charleston Southern
Tadiyos Sloan-Westmoreland, UNC Asheville
Simon Triezenberg, High Point
 
All-Academic Team
William Reid, Charleston Southern
Brendan Athy, Gardner-Webb
Gavin Stevens, High Point
Louis Semtner, Longwood
Noah Kaufman, Presbyterian
Logan Hamilton, Radford
Jacoby Ennis, UNC Asheville
Eric Perry, USC Upstate
Ethan Gear, Winthrop
 
Up Next: The NCAA Southeast Regionals will take place in Spartanburg, S.C., on the same course the Panthers ran for Big South Championships. The meet will be held on Friday, Nov. 13.