June 16, 2006                                                           

Area Runners Sign with SMC Cross Country

SPARTANBURG, S.C. – Spartanburg Methodist College recently announced that two area runners have signed a National Letter of Intent to compete on the Lady Pioneers Cross Country Team for 2006-2007: 

Name                      School                                           Hometown

Kara Harper             Byrnes High School                         Duncan, S.C.

Erin Nash                 Riverside High School                     Greer, S.C.

Head Cross Country Coach, Eric Cummings, believes that both Harper and Nash will solidify a very strong SMC Women’s Team. Both runners have very similar running qualities and have almost the same personal records, according to Cummings. Harper and Nash are both expected to come in and run in the team’s top five this fall. Nash ran under the coaching of Karen Gillespie at Riverside High School while Harper will be rejoining Cummings, who was her former Byrnes High School coach.

“It is great to have two expectional local runners join our program. With both Harper and Nash, we will be fielding the strongest women’s team in the history of SMC,” stated Cummings.

“These two young ladies, along with Freshman Krystal Eddinger from Murrells Inlet, and Sophomores Jocelyn Veit – Brookland Cayce High School (Region X Runner of the Year), Hilary Richards – Byrnes High School (All Region X & 2006 Captain), and Maria Ruvalcaba – N. Charleston High School (2005 Medical Red Shirt) will have to be considered as one of the top five women’s team in the Nation,” Cummings added.

SMC will play host to four NJCAA National Championships over the next five years.  These include the 2007 and 2009 Half Marathon National Championships to be held throughout downtown Spartanburg and the 2008 and 2010 Cross Country National Championships to be held at the Milliken Research Center.