BUIES CREEK – The Campbell men's cross country team won its fifth-straight conference championship as the team took first place at the 2019 Big South Championships on Saturday.

The Running Camels concluded the meet with a team score of 28 points in the men's 8K race, outpacing Charleston Southern who finished as runners-up with 58. Campbell has now won five consecutive Big South titles going back to the 2015 season.

The Campbell men had their top five runners all finish within the top 15 as Athanas Kioko took home the individual crown, finishing first overall.

On the women's side, the Camels finished as runners-up for the third consecutive season behind High Point.

Men's 8K Recap
Kioko, the 8K school-record holder, earned the individual conference title with a mark of 23:30.61 to lead the way for Campbell.

Amon Kemboi (2nd, 24:13.49), Godwin Kimutai (3rd, 24:49.10), and Laderique McNeill (7th, 25:28.61) joined Kioko with all-conference honors on the day.

Hunter Gilbert rounded out the top five for the Camels as the senior finished 15th in 26:09.34 today.

Kimutai, a redshirt-freshman, picked up Big South Freshman of the Year honors while Gilbert became the program's first-ever Big South Scholar-Athlete of the Year.

Head coach Michael Kelly was named Big South Coach of the Year for the men, marking the fourth time Kelly has earned the award in the eight years he's led the Campbell program.

Pace Clark (17th, 26:11.27), Travis Gallimore (26th, 27:00.25), and Karson McKenzie (66th, 29:08.74) also lined up for the Camels.

Charleston Southern and High Point followed the Camels in second and third at the meet.

Women's 5K Recap
A caravan of Camels led the women to their third straight finish at the Big South Championships as runners-up. Lize Botha finished as the top Campbell finisher, taking sixth in 18:30.34 as the senior earned all-conference honors for the fourth straight season.

Michaela Louw placed seventh in 18:33.24, improving on her 11th place finish from last year. Freshman Bri Herritt took eighth in 18:34.17 and Madeline Fitch took 12th in 18:40.49 as all three runners earned all-conference recognition.

Shanley Koekemoer, who was named to the all-academic team, finished the top five for the Camels as the sophomore placed 15th in 18:58.30.

Botha is the first women's runner to earn four all-conference honors in program history and became only the 12th runner in the Big South with four.

Madelyn Rodriguez (27th, 19:27.07), Olivia Duax (29th, 19:37.11), Hannah Cranford (40th, 20:08.77), Jade Baldwin (49th, 20:31.46) and Isabella Rowland (52nd, 20:39.58) all competed for the Camels today.

High Point took the championship for the women with junior Famke Heinst finishing first for the third-straight season. Charleston Southern followed the Camels, taking third as a team.

Up Next
The Campbell men and women turn their attention to the NCAA Southeast Regionals hosted by Virginia on Friday, Nov. 15.
 

Men's 8K Final Team Results
1 - Campbell (28)
2 - Charleston Southern (58)
3 - High Point (61)
4 - UNC Asheville (107)
5 - Radford (143)
6 - USC Upstate (153)
7 - Winthrop (170)
8 - Longwood (265)
9 - Presbyterian (270)
10 - Hampton (293)
11 - Gardner- Webb (319)
 
Runner of the Year
Athanas Kioko, Campbell
 
Freshman of the Year
Godwin Kimutai, Campbell
                         
Coach of the Year
Michael Kelly, Campbell

Scholar-Athlete of the Year
Hunter Gilbert, Campbell

All-Conference Team (Top 12 Finishers)
Athanas Kioko, Campbell
Amon Kemboi, Campbell
Godwin Kimutai, Campbell
El Hocine Bouchrak, High Point
Theo Kahler, Winthrop
Jeryck Wilson, Charleston Southern
Laderique McNeill, Campbell
Jaymee Domoney, Charleston Southern
Thomas Little, UNC Asheville
Spencer Smucker, High Point
Austen Cave, High Point
Alan Deogracias, Charleston Southern

All-Academic Team
Hunter Gilbert, Gr., Campbell
Joshua Martin, Soph., Charleston Southern
Bogdan Podgaisky, Jr., Gardner-Webb
Geoffrey McCullough, Sr., Hampton
Hocine Bouchrak, Jr., High Point
Nick Howell, Soph., Longwood
Banner Plumb, Jr., Presbyterian College
Joe Limo, Soph., Radford
Zachary Boone, Sr., UNC Asheville
Michael Tardella, Soph., USC Upstate
Theo Kahler, Sr., Winthrop

Women's 5K Final Team Results
1 - High Point (32)
2 - Campbell (48)
3 - Charleston Southern (69)
4 - Radford (83)
5 - UNC Asheville (178)
6 - USC Upstate (186)
7 - Winthrop (209)
8 - Longwood (238)
9 - Presbyterian (242)
10 - Hampton (257)
11 - Gardner-Webb (285)

Runner of the Year
Famke Heinst, High Point
 
Freshman of the Year
Catlin Apps, Radford

Coach of the Year
Remy Tamer, High Point

All-Conference Team (Top 12 Finishers)
Famke Heinst, High Point
Zoe Geis, High Point
Caitlin Apps, Radford
Caroline Iman, Charleston Southern
Tessa Webb, High Point
Lize Botha, Campbell
Michaela Louw, Campbell
Bri Herritt, Campbell
Makennah Mills, Charleston Southern
Lindsey Ickes, High Point
Taylor Barnes, Charleston Southern
Madeline Fitch, Campbell 

All-Academic Team
Shanley Koekemoer, Soph., Campbell
Taylor Barnes, Jr., Charleston Southern
Hannah Jones, Sr., Gardner-Webb
Shakeria Johnson, Soph., Hampton
Famke Heinst, Jr., High Point
Casey Williams, Jr., Longwood
Emily Swanigan, Sr., Presbyterian College
Annsley Eckert, Jr., Radford
India Appleton, Soph., UNC Asheville
Allie Leavitt, Soph., USC Upstate
Harper Henson, Gr., Winthrop

Scholar-Athlete of the Year
Haper Henson, Winthrop