NOVEMBER 17, 2007 --- FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
(Complete race results)

SMC Earns Top 10 Individual Finishes In National Half Marathon

Prichard Claims 1st Place Individual Finish, All American Status 

SPARTANBURG – The Spartanburg Methodist College cross country teams closed out the season on their home turf Saturday at the NJCAA National Half Marathon in downtown Spartanburg with top 10 individual finishes on both the men’s and women’s side.  Sophomore Becca Prichard, of Clemson, SC, finished first out of 50 women with a 1:22:00 time in the 13.1 mile road race. Prichard led the SMC women’s team to a fourth place overall finish out of 10 teams in the Half Marathon.  Her finish earned her the top All American slot – one of six – in the race. Prichard was also named an All American at the NJCAA National Cross Country Championship on Nov. 10.  “This has been a great experience to have run for SMC. I am very happy with how the season has gone and am very proud of my teammates. Being an All American feels great, but it really hasn’t sunk in just yet. Really, it’s icing on the cake for a great season,” says Prichard.  Head men’s and women’s coach Mike Foley says Prichard’s All-American standing is very significant for SMC’s cross country program.  “To have an All American on our team for the first time in 14 years – and for them to claim a national championship - is amazing. Becca is a great role model who has overcome a lot of adversity,” says head men’s and women’s coach Mike Foley.  Fellow runners Jessica Foley, a freshman from Little Mountain, SC, and Kara Harper, a sophomore from Duncan, SC, finished 21st and 22nd respectively. Brittnie Simmons, a freshman from Mauldin, SC, and Kathryn McClure, a freshman from Charleston, WV, rounded out the SMC women’s team’s performance with 45th and 49th place finishes, respectively.  Sophomore Jeremy Vangsnes, of Broome, SC, led the SMC men’s team to an 8th place overall finish out of 15 teams with a 10th place individual time of 1:13:49.

Jeremy Vangsnes crosses the finish line Becca Prichard crosses the finish line Becca Prichard receives the NJCAA Half Marathon All American award, with Coach Mike Foley (left) present

“I was going for Top 6, but Top 10 is great. I ran as fast as I could. I’m glad the season is over though – overall, it went better than expected. It’s kind of bittersweet to be leaving SMC after this year, but it will be good to move on to the next level,” Vangsnes says. 

Fellow sophomore Wells Johnson, from Charleston, SC, finished at 1:18:30. 

Men’s team runners Josh Brooks, a freshman from Greer, SC, DJ Mattison, a freshman from Anderson, SC, and Taylor Padgett, a freshman from Spartanburg, SC, finished 36th, 42nd, and 45th, respectively. 

Foley says that he is very proud of what the 2007 SMC cross country teams have accomplished. 

“Overall, it’s been everything we hoped for. We ran the best we could, but now we’ll be looking ahead for another successful season next year,” Foley says. 

SMC athletic director Mark Perdue says that the event, which was co-hosted by SMC and the City of Spartanburg, went very well. 

“The city, the police department and everyone involved worked great together – there was a lot of teamwork that went into pulling this off and I’m personally very thankful for everyone’s hard work and effort to make this a successful event,” says Perdue. 

He adds that he is very excited about the SMC teams’ performances. 

“To have performed this well at home is a great thing for SMC. They qualified for nationals again this year and did a great job. To have an All American on our team is phenomenal – that is such a great accomplishment for Becca. Overall, our fall sports programs have had an excellent season. We’ve had a volleyball team go to nationals for the first time in over 20 years and had very strong performances in all our other sports. That says great things about SMC,” adds Perdue. 

The 2008 NJCAA National Cross Country Championships will be held at Milliken Research Park in Spartanburg. 

Spartanburg Methodist College has 14 intercollegiate teams that compete in Region X of the National Junior College Athletic Association, which includes colleges in the Carolinas, Virginia, and West Virginia.

The College is in its 97th year of providing a quality education to students in a Christian environment. More than 90 percent of SMC graduates continue their education at other institutions of higher learning. 

For more information please contact coach Mike Foley at (864) 298-4744 or athletic director Mark Perdue at (864) 587-4237. 

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