Wingate Wins 2023 South Atlantic Conference Men's Cross Country Championships

October 21, 2023

NEWTON, N.C. – The Wingate University men's cross country team claimed the 2023 South Atlantic Conference Championship title Saturday morning at Southside Park in Newton, N.C.

Wingate, who is ranked second in the NCAA Division II U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) coaches' poll and No. 1 in the Southeast Region top-10 rankings, secured the conference title with a score of 20. Catawba followed in second with a score of 59, and Anderson claimed third at 110.

Wingate's Jakob Rettschlag completed the 8k course in first with a time of 22:51.55 to claim the SAC Runner of the Year title.

Catawba's Ian Pierce earned SAC Freshman of the Year honors after finishing 13^th with a time of 23:39.99.

Wingate's Pol Domenech took home SAC Men's Cross Country Coach of the Year honors.

Catawba's Tanner Smith was named the 2023 Elite 23 winner, as he holds a 4.0 GPA in communications. This award honors the student-athlete with the top cumulative grade-point average (based on a minimum of 48 credit hours) in each of the league's 23 team championship sports.

The NCAA Southeast Regional cross country meet, which will be hosted by University of North Georgia in Oakwood, Ga., is slated to take place Saturday, November 4^th.

2023 SAC Men's Cross Country Championship Team Results

Wingate – 20
Catawba – 59
Anderson- 110
Lenoir-Rhyne – 133
Lincoln Memorial – 151
Carson-Newman – 185
Emory & Henry – 215
Tusculum – 250
Mars Hill – 269
Limestone – 273
Newberry – 274
UVA Wise – 296
Coker – 394

First Team All-Conference

Jakob Rettschlag, Wingate

Luis Hernandez-Perez, Wingate

Jacob Parkinson, Lenoir-Rhyne

Luca Poppe, Wingate

Erick Ramirez, Catawba

Will Aitken, Wingate

Tom Thierry, Wingate

Second Team All-Conference

Leo Freeland, Wingate

Colten Lee, Carson-Newman

Oussama Ajala, Catawba

Lewis Budgen, Lenoir-Rhyne

Daniel Similton, Anderson

Ian Pierce, Catawba

Oskar Enseling, Wingate

Third Team All- Conference

EJ Threatt, Catawba

Anthony Lecorche, Catawba

Stefan Lauchner, Catawba

Marig Engelbrecht, Lincoln Memorial

Daniel Schmidt, Wingate

Tanner Smith, Catawba

Shane Moran, Wingate

All-Freshman Team

Ian Pierce, Catawba

Anthony Lecorche, Catawba

Stefan Lauchner, Catawba

Jake Dentler, Anderson

Pau Valderrama, Tusculum

Runner of the Year

Jakob Rettschlag, Wingate

Freshman of the Year

Ian Pierce, Catawba

Coach of the Year

Pol Domenech, Wingate

Elite 23

Tanner Smith, Catawba