Stuart, Melchionna Lead Mocs at NCAA Region

Friday, November 11

Tallahassee, Fla.

9:00 a.m.

Chattanooga

NCAA South Region

Women's 6K - html Women's 6K - pdf Men's 10K results - html Men's 10K results - pdf

Photo by: SoConSports.com

11/11/2016 5:15:00 PM | Cross Country & Track & Field

Women's 6K - html Women's 6K - pdf Men's 10K results - html Men's 10K results - pdf

By: Anne Wehunt

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. --- The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga cross country teams closed out the 2016 season Friday morning at the NCAA South Region Championships in Tallahassee, Fla.

The women, led by senior Maddison Melchionna (Afton, Tenn.), finished 23^rd with 589 points. Melchionna covered the 6-kilometer course in a time of 22:19.1. Freshman Kennedy Thomson (Catharine's, Ontario) was the Mocs' second runner across the line, placing 104^th with a time of 22:27.7 in her first collegiate 6K.

Senior Jessica York (Normandy, Tenn.) finished the race with a time of 22:57.7, followed by sophomore Biranna Nelson (Jefferson, Wisc.) at 23:04.9. Hannah Chamblin (Memphis, Tenn.) was UTC's fifth scoring runner to cross the line in a time of 23:10.4.

"I was pleased with the women's efforts," Chattanooga head coach Andy Meyer said. "We didn't finish as high as we had hoped, but they finished as well as they could.

"Kennedy did well and Hannah Caldwell had a good race. Brianna rebounded from the conference race and ran a really good one here."

On the men's side, senior Paul Staurt (Brentwood, Tenn.) led the Chattanooga men to an 18^th place finish, placing 36^th overall with a time of 31:42.1 in his final race as a Moc.

"Paul Stuart ran a great race," Meyer said. "I'm so pleased and happy with Paul. He had a good race to go out with."

Sophomore Gavin Hasty (Brentwood, Tenn.) was the second UTC runner across the line placing 52^nd overall with a time of 32:03.6.

"Paul and Gavin ran really well," Meyer said. "The guys had a great race plan. Paul and Gavin did not go out too fast and at the two-mile mark, Paul was with the lead pack."

Freshman Nathan Watson (Hendersonville, Tenn.) went out too fast to start the race but stayed stong finishing third for UTC with a time of 33:42.5 in his first collegiate 10k. Sophomore Richard Guiry (Nashville, Tenn.) covered the distance in a time of 34:18.7 followed by senior Austin Casassa (Nashville, Tenn.) as the fifth scoring runner across the line at 34:37.8.

Junior Brennan Huber was one of several Mocs who were ill during the week prior to the race.

The women will now begin gearing up for the indoor track season starting in December.