HANCEVILLE, Ala. — The Wallace State Men’s and Women’s Cross Country teams continued their strong performances this season, each securing second-place finishes at the Topper Trails College Classic hosted by Blue Mountain College in Blue Mountain, Miss., on Sept. 28.
Men’s Team Top Seven Finishers
Sophomore Luke Kennedy of Huntsville led the Lions in the men’s 8K race, finishing with a time of 28:03.4. Freshman Tyler Anthony of Fort Payne was right behind, crossing the line at 28:03.9. Sophomore David Robles of Springville finished with a time of 28:04.1. Freshman Elliot Denard of Springville followed closely, finishing at 28:21.1. Freshman Daniel Leija of Albertville clocked in at 28:41.4. Freshman Conner McCrary of Muscle Shoals posted a time of 28:51.5. Freshman Carson Masterson of Hatton finished in 29:30.8 to complete the Lions’ top seven.
Kennedy, Anthony, Robles, Denard, Leija and McCrary were named to the Men’s All-Tournament Team for their performances.
Women’s Team Top Seven Finishers
The women’s team narrowly missed out on first place by just a single point, tallying 45 points behind the winning team, University of Tennessee Southern. Freshman Reagan Parris of Bremen led the Lions in the women’s 5K race, finishing with a time of 21:11.2. Sophomore Eden Brumer of Fort Thomas, Ky., followed in 21:12.7. Sophomore Claire Deaton of Madison finished next at 21:34.7. Sophomore Grace Gosline of Arab was close behind with a time of 21:35.2. Sophomore Kendall Harbison of Cullman finished at 21:40.1. Sophomore Abigale Vega of Fort Payne crossed the line at 21:40.2. Freshman Bernarda Tizapa-Robles of Cullman finished with a time of 21:50.1, rounding out the top seven for the women.
Parris, Brumer, Deaton, Gosline, Harbison, Vega and Tizapa-Robles were named to the Women’s All-Tournament Team.
The Wallace State Cross Country teams will next compete in the Royal Cross Country Challenge in Charlotte, N.C., on Oct. 11, hosted by Queens University of Charlotte.
Wallace State Women’s Golf Finishes Sixth at Snead State Invitational
Wallace State secured a sixth-place finish out of 13 teams at the Snead State Invitational, held Sept. 30-Oct. 1 at Cherokee Ridge Country Club in Union Grove.
Freshman Mallory Brooks of Southside led the Lions with an impressive performance, shooting 80-74 over the two rounds to claim third place individually and earn a spot on the All-Tournament Team. Last week, Brooks was named as the Alabama Community College Conference (ACCC) Women’s Golf Player of the Week for her performance at the Mustang Invitational, where she finished with a 36-hole score of +2.
The team will next compete in the Jefferson State Invitational, scheduled for Oct. 27-29 at Musgrove Country Club in Jasper.
Wallace State Volleyball Defeats Calhoun in Conference Play
Wallace State secured a 3-1 victory over Calhoun Community College on Sept. 26 in a competitive conference matchup. The Lady Lions clinched the win with set scores of 25-23, 15-25, 25-20, and 25-18, showcasing balanced play across the court.
Sophomore Chloe Jackson of Athens led Wallace State with 14 kills, 7 digs and 6 block assists, adding a block solo and an assist to her stat line. Freshman Kailey Dickerson of Wellington matched Jackson with 14 kills and contributed 12 digs, while adding a block assist. Freshman Rachel Mecklenburg of Madison tallied six kills, 12 digs, 17 assists, one solo block and five block assists. Freshman Ali Price of Rainsville recorded 21 assists and three service aces while adding six digs.
Defensively, Sophomore Abby McDonald of Fairview tallied 16 digs and two service aces. Freshman Amanda Monge of Davenport, Fla., added 11 kills, 19 digs, two block assists and two service aces. Other contributions came from sophomore April Burgess of Alabaster, who tallied two digs. Freshman Addison Delaney of Madison recorded one kill and one dig, while freshman Kaylee Roman of Deltona, Fla., also chipped in with one dig.
Wallace State Volleyball Sweeps Bevill State
Wallace State earned a commanding 3-0 victory over Bevill State Community College on Oct. 1. in a conference showdown. The Lady Lions swept the match with set scores of 25-13, 25-10 and 25-17.
Mecklenburg tallied 10 kills, three service aces, five digs and 17 assists. Jackson contributed 10 kills, adding a service ace and two digs to her stat line. Monge recorded eight kills, 12 digs and one block assist. Freshman Molly Shiflett of Corner had a standout performance with nine kills and 11 digs, along with one block assist.
Defensively, McDonald led the team with 15 digs, also contributing one service ace and three assists. Burgess chipped in with three kills and three digs, while Price added eight digs to bolster the back row defense. Freshman Amelia Fowler of Sardis City also contributed with four digs, rounding out the team’s defensive effort.
The Lady Lions will compete next in the 2024 Showdown on the Wabash tournament, hosted by Vincennes University, on Oct. 4-5. They will face Southwestern Illinois College at 4 p.m. and Vincennes at 6 p.m. on Friday, followed by matches against Wabash Valley College at 9 a.m. and Edison State Community College at 11 a.m. on Saturday.
The Wallace State Volleyball team is currently 20-8.
