NEW ORLEANS – University of South Alabama cross country runners Andonet Cheruiyot (ANN-doh-NET Chariot) and Carolien Millenaar (Care-OH-lien Mill-in-AR) on the women's side, and Onesmus Kemboi (OH-ness-mus KIM-boy) and Warno Potgieter (Var-no Poat-guy-ter) were named as one of the Top 7 Runners to Watch in the Sun Belt Conference in their respective divisions Wednesday as announced by the league office.
The honor marks the second career Sun Belt Conference preseason accolade for Cheruiyot and Potgieter, who were named to the lists prior to the start of last season, while Millenaar was selected prior to the start of the 2018 season.
Cheruiyot earned first-team all-Sun Belt honors for the second consecutive year after placing third at last season's conference championship meet. The Eldorat, Kenya, native finished either second or third in five of her six meets last year and opened the fall with a second-place finish (18:46) at the Azalea City Classic. She placed third at both the 5th Annual Wingfoot Classic (17:46) and at the 14th Annual Foothills Invitational (17:30), with the latter time her fastest of the fall. Cheruiyot also recorded a second-place finish at the Blazer Classic in the 6k race with a time of 20:49 and competed in the NCAA South Regional.
Millenaar also earned all-Sun Belt honors for the second time in her career as she placed seventh at the league championship event with a time of 17:53. The senior runner placed 11th or better in four of her other five races, and won each of the first two meets of the season taking home individual titles at the Azalea City Classic (18:17) and at the 5th Annual Wingfoot Classic where she posted a career-best time of 17:36, the first sub-18 time of her career. Millenaar placed fourth the following meet at the 14th Annual Foothills Invitational with a time of 18:05, and competed at the NCAA South Regional.
Kemboi received second-team all-Sun Belt honors after finishing seventh at the league championship meet on the men's side as he crossed the line with a time of 24:39 in the 8k. He also won a pair of meets during the season as he finished first at both the Azalea City Classic in the 5k (15:41) and at the 14th Annual Foothills Invitational in the 8k (25:17), and finished inside the top 10 in all but one of his races during the fall. The Eldoret, Kenya, native also recorded a pair of fourth-place results in the 8k at the 5th Annual Wingfoot Classic and the Blazer Classic, and placed 21st in the 10k event at the NCAA South Regional.
Potgieter earned second-team all-Sun Belt accolades for the second-straight season last fall as he placed ninth at the league championship event with a time of 24:49 in the 8K. He recorded five top 15 finishes, including four in the top 10 during the season. Potgieter placed second in each of his first three meets; at the Azalea City Classic, the 5th Annual Wingfoot Classic and the 14th Annual Foothills Classic, and ran a career-best 8k time of 24:32 at the Blazer Classic where he placed 14th.
South will open up the 2020 Cross Country season on its home course when it host the Azalea City Classic on Fri., Sept. 11 at the Old Brookley Gulf Pines Golf Course. The women's 5k race is scheduled to start at 5:50 p.m. and will be followed by the men's 5k slated to begin at 6:20 p.m.
Top 7 Women's Cross Country Runners to Watch
1. Lotte Meyberg, Georgia State
2. Pauline Meyer, Arkansas State
3. ANDONET CHERUIYOT, SOUTH ALABAMA
4. Elizabeth Gillette, Arkansas State
5. CAROLIEN MILLENAAR, SOUTH ALABAMA
6. Lisha Van Onselen, Coastal Carolina
7. Izzy Evely, Appalachian State
Top 7 Men's Cross Country Runners to Watch
1. Adriaan Wildschutt, Coastal Carolina
2. Isaac Benz, Appalachian State
3. Ryan Brown, Appalachian State
4. Bennett Pascoe, Arkansas State
5. ONESMUS KEMBOI, SOUTH ALABAMA
6. Justin Botello, Texas State
7. WARNO POTGIETER, SOUTH ALABAMA
For more information about South Alabama athletics, check back with www.usajaguars.com, and follow the Jaguars at www.twitter.com/WeAreSouth_JAGS. Season tickets for all Jaguar athletic events can be purchased by calling (251) 461-1USA (1872).
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