Tallahassee, Fla. – Friday morning marked the first appearance for the Lake-Sumter State College Cross Country teams at the NJCAA Region 8/FCSAA Cross Country Championships.
William Troupe, a Leesburg HS graduate, placed fourth overall at the event with a time of 27:56. Coming in right behind Troupe was teammate, Alexander Croy. Also a local talent from South Lake HS, Croy came across the finish line in 28:03. Both athletes will qualify for the National Meet November 9 in Albuquerque, NM. Troupe and Croy also earned a spot on the All-State Team after placing in the top five.
Over 30 runners competed in the championships. Josue Reyes and Adolfo Saucedo-Flores both finished in the top 10, placing 9th and 10th respectively. Ernesto Velasquez came in at 16 with a time of 29:43.
LSSC finished behind Seminole State College, whose runners placed 1-3 at the event.
On the women's side of the championship, the Lakehawks had three runners in the event with 40 plus competitors. Neelyam Lugo Ramos posted one her best runs of the season with a time of 22:39 to place 17th. Brianna Mitchell came in at 24:55 (34th) while Isabel Panganiban completed at 25:28 (36th).
Pasco-Hernando State College took home first place for the women Friday, making it their fourth consecutive Region 8/FCSAA Cross Country Championship.