Complete Results (PDF)
ELON, N.C. --
Natalie Atabek,
Danielle Ruggieri and
Heather Conarroe earned All-Conference honors to help the Davidson Wildcat women's cross country team to a fifth-place team finish at the 2009 Southern Conference Championships Saturday morning on the campus of Elon University.
The Wildcats' top finisher at every meet this season, Atabek raced to a team-best ninth-place, earning both All-Southern Conference honors and All-Freshman honors with a time of 18:58.41.
Ruggieri was the Wildcats' next best finisher, placing 12th with a time of 19:00.03, and Conarroe also earned All-Conference honors with a 14th-place finish in 19:01.50.
Lauren Childs finished 36th for Davidson with a time of 19:33.56, and Jane Gay rounded out the scoring with a 39th-place time of 19:37.73. The Wildcats were the only team with three All-Southern Conference runners.
"I am very proud of how we ran up front today, being the only team to finish with three All-Conference runners!" head coach Jen Straub said. "I think we have a lot to be proud of and a lot to build on in the future!"
With four runners in the top 20 and just 74 points, Samford edged runner-up Elon by a point for the 2009 championship. Behind individual champion Brittney Caudle (17:47.32), Appalachian State finished third with 83 points, followed by Furman with 93. Davidson finished fifth with 110 points.
Chattanooga (134), UNC Greensboro (138), Western Carolina (168), College of Charleston (254), Wofford (289), Georgia Southern (319) and The Citadel (357) rounded out the field.
Davidson will prepare for the NCAA Regionals in Louisville, Ky. on Nov. 14.