Results

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (Oct. 21) – Junior Riley Willcox claimed all-league honors on Saturday morning, as the University of Mount Olive men's cross country team placed ninth overall in the team standings at the Conference Carolinas Championships.

The Trojans registered 223 points at the conference meet after featuring 10 runners in the field. UNC Pembroke repeated as Conference Carolinas Champions with 57 points behind four individuals in the top 15 overall. Belmont Abbey placed second with 70 points to earn its first runner-up finish since 2000, while Lees-McRae rounded out the top three with 111 points.

Willcox earned Third-Team All-Conference following a 19th-place finish at the league meet with a career-best time of 26:02.7 in the eight-kilometer race. He paced Mount Olive for a fourth consecutive race and garnered his fourth top-20 finish this season. The Trojans have featured an all-conference honoree in 14 of the previous 15 years.

Junior Ashton Olmstead placed 45th in a field of nearly 130 competitors after crossing the line with a time of 27:10.7 in the Queen City. In his first appearance at the conference event, freshman Evan Hall posted a time of 27:20.6 to finish 54th overall. Sophomore Josh Hendren registered a 62nd-place finish behind a personal-best time of 27:34.9 on Saturday. Junior Richard Villafranco rounded out the team scorers for the Trojans with a time of 27:39.4 to place 65th.

Just three positions back, sophomore Matthew Riggs crossed the line with a career-best time of 27:44.2 to take 68th place for Mount Olive. Senior Nathanael Bierly finished 80th overall with a time of 28:19.8, while freshman Devon Coughlin placed 116th with a personal-best mark of 32:06.2. Freshman Shamar Cowan set a new career-best time of 34:56.1 to finish 122nd overall.

Southern Wesleyan sophomore Ronan O'Neill won the individual title on Saturday by over nine seconds with a time of 24:35.9.

Mount Olive is idle for two weeks before it competes at the NCAA Southeast Regional on Saturday, November 4, in Oakwood, Georgia.