Women's cross country team wins Region 8 Division I title
The Eastern Florida State College women's cross country team won the FCSAA/NJCAA Region 8 Division I championship for the second straight year on Tuesday morning in Tallahassee.
The Titans won the Division I title and placed third overall at Apalachee Regional Park. The Titans have earned a spot in the NJCAA Division I Championship.
Sophomore Rachel Starr won the Division I race and was third overall with a time of 19 minutes, 33.2 seconds. Starr won the Division I race for the Titans, topping Seminole State's Carly Holadia who won the race last season.
Teammate Marlie Gonzalez finished third in the Division I race and sixth overall with a time of 20:29.9. Amelia Shephard finished sixth in the Division I race and 22nd overall in 21:41.1.
Sierra Kohler had a strong finish to place eighth in the Division I race at 22:30.36, while Isabella Narvaez (22:36.1) and Lauren Deal (22:50.9) rounded out the top 10 in the Division I race.
"Bella has been sick and she is a key runner for us so with her off a bit, it hurt us. It started to get warm and we don't run as well in warmer weather," Eastern Florida State College women's cross country coach Doug Butler said. "Amelia stepped up and ran huge for us, Sierra came up big. They came up big because it was close with Seminole State College today."
Seminole State College finished just two points behind the Titans for the title.
Eastern Florida State College will run in the NJCAA Division I Championships on Nov. 11 at John Hunt Park in Huntsville, Alabama.
