Grant Chastain led the University of West Florida men’s cross country team to an eighth-place finish at its first Atlantic Sun Conference Championship meet Friday in Richmond, Ky. Chastain finished 40th in 27:08.3 to pace UWF in its first NCAA Division I season. Lipscomb won the conference title with five runners among the top six positions.
Xander McLaughlin was UWF’s second finisher, placing 51st in 27:39.1. Carson King finished 56th in 28:10.6 as the third UWF runner to cross the line, while Brody Bruce placed 60th in 28:24. Preston Cooper finished 62nd in 28:39.2.
Sean Junco placed 66th in 28:58.8, followed by Joseph Dorn in 72nd at 30:08.9. Wilson Seeman finished 73rd in 31:15.1, and Antonio Montoya placed 74th in 31:48.2. Those results accounted for the listed UWF finishers at the championship meet.
King concludes UWF career
King competed in his final race as an Argonaut and was the team’s lone senior. His 28:10.6 finish made him the third UWF runner across the line. Head coach Caleb Carmichael said the team’s young group struggled to maintain its early position but pointed to King’s effort at the championship.
“The guys just didn’t quite have it today and we’re certainly disappointed with the outcome,” Carmichael said. “I was happy to see some of them take a swing early by getting out well but we didn’t have to enough to hang on. It’s a young group so we will get better. Our lone senior Carson, stepped up big for us today and we will be sad to see him go but glad he was able to end his career on a positive note.”
FSB Take
UWF’s first Atlantic Sun championship meet established an eighth-place result during the program’s first NCAA Division I season. Chastain led the lineup, while King provided the team’s only senior presence in his final race. UWF also recorded a season-best second-place finish at the UNA Kennemer Classic, giving the program a verified performance marker alongside its conference result.
Source: Original report