Harding Repeats As GSC Women's Champions
By Rori Eddie

Memphis--Two years in the Gulf South Conference, two Championships for the Harding University women’s cross country program.

No. 18 Harding became the fourth team in GSC history to successfully defend its Conference Title (West Georgia 1993-95), topping the field with 39 points at the 2001 GSC Women’s Cross Country Championship, Saturday, at Plough Park in Memphis, TN.

Alabama-Huntsville placed second with 65 points, while Arkansas Tech finished third (96) followed by West Georgia (102), Southern Arkansas (124), Valdosta State (176) and Central Arkansas (198).

Junior Hanna Riakallio (18:15) completed the sweep for the Lady Bisons becoming the first since UWG’s Marta Valenic (1996-97) to repeat as Individual Champion.

West Georgia’s Shawanna White (18:36) and Mandy McCann (18:36) finished second and third, respectively. HU’s Janet Kogo (18:44), Alabama-Huntsville’s Amy Phillips (18:46) Harding’s Sarah Reardon (18:52) and Arkansas Tech’s Siobhan Lenihan (18:57) rounded out the First Team winners. Repeat All-GSC First Team performers included Mandy McCann, Janet Kogo and Siobhan Lenihan. Shawanna White and Amy Phillips made the jump from last year’s Second Team.

Harding led all schools with a meet-high three First Team honorees, while West Georgia added two.

Second Team All-GSC accolades went to the eighth through 14th place finishers: Ouachita Baptist’s Robyn Hopper (19:07), Southern Arkansas Beth Augenstein (19:18), Alabama-Huntsville’s Natalie Fahey (19:21), Harding’s Helen Singoei (19:28), Henderson State’s Penny Whelchel (19:29), and Arkansas Tech’s Witney Barr (19:31) and Corinna Soto (19:33).

HU Head Coach Bryan Phillips added to the excitement when he became the first coach since 1995 to earn back-to-back GSC Coach of the Year selections.