November 28, 2006                                                      

SMC Men Set New School Records In Half Marathon

SPARTANBURG, S.C. –  Two members of the Spartanburg Methodist College men's cross country team broke the school's half marathon record recently at the NJCAA Half Marathon Classic held in Wichita, Kansas, as the men's team finished in 10th place.

Freshman Jeremy Vangsnes, a graduate of Broome High School, and sophomore Ross Kaiser, a graduate of Lexington High School, broke the men's half marathon (13.1 miles) record as they finished 28th and 33rd overall, respectively in the NJCAA championship.

Vangsnes, who set the men's school 8K cross country mark on Nov. 4 in El Paso, Texas, added the half marathon record with a 1 hour, 17 minute and 15 second run. Kaiser also broke the former school record as he finished in 1:18.30.

The third member of the men's team, freshman Travis Eiler, a graduate of Socastee High School, finished in 77th place in 1:36.41.

Two SMC women runners also participated in the NJCAA championship race.

Sophomore Hilary Richards, a graduate of Byrnes High School, couldn't break her own school record set in 2005, but she did have the highest finish among the SMC runners in the race as she placed 27th in the women's race in a time of 1:44.04. That is the second fastest time ever for an SMC female.

Freshman Whitney Wiles, a graduate of Crescent High School, placed 45th in 1:57.45.

For more information please contact coach Mike Foley at (864) 325-5957 or athletic director Mark Perdue at (864) 587-4237.