Lakehawks Boast Two All-State Runners

Tallahassee, Fla. – The Apalachee Park trail played host to the NJCAA DII Region 8 Cross Country Meet on Friday. Lake-Sumter State College had runners from both the men's and women's teams finish inside the top five.

Nicholas Atkinson was the top finisher for the Lakehawks coming in fifth with a time of 26:59.4. Atkinson broke his personal best time by 30 seconds, which helped elevate him to All-State honors. His performance moved him to ninth on the all-time list at the Region 8 meet.

"Nicholas Atkinson set a goal and chased it in a very gutsy performance from the start," said Head Coach, Cristy Snellgroves. "He has been a leader for this team on and off the course and I couldn't be more impressed with his work ethic and character." Atkinson will be competing at the NJCAA Championships in Richmond, VA November 13.

Colton Berquist was the second runner to come across the finish line for the Lakehawks at 27:26.0. Good enough for ninth overall. Zachary Paladino and Cooper Krug also finished inside the top 15 at 13^th and 14^th respectively.

Lake-Sumter came in second behind Daytona State in total team scoring.  "The men were disappointed as they wanted to bring home the team trophy, but they almost all set personal bests and did so with such great team effort," Snellgroves said. "I couldn't be happier with this team and am excited to see them perform at Nationals in Richmond VA in two weeks."

Kyja Williams set out on a mission this year, to take the top spot in the Regional Meet. Williams came up just short, finishing second overall in the field of 60+ runners with a time of 20:26.9. Her second-place finish nets her All-State recognition for the second consecutive year. The Gainesville native is now 10^th in the Region 8 record books with an all-time performance.

"Kyja has set a standard of excellence with every performance since she came to Lake-Sumter," said Snellgroves. "Her dedication, work ethic, and perseverance are unrivaled. Kyja really wanted the title this year, but is ready to run fast at the National meet."

Finishing inside the top 20 at 18 was Alexis Doll at 22:36.0. Erica Bunk came in 26^th, followed by Meridith Richemond at 35. "The women are such a tight team and support each other," Snellgroves said. "They have worked so hard and come so far and have established a culture of team spirit and positivity. We got a late start to training this season and the girls are just now hitting times. It will be exciting to see their improvement continue." The women's team finished fifth overall.

The final meet of the year will be the NJCAA Nationals in Richmond, VA, November 13.