Lauren Buyan

Joe David

Men's 8K Results | Women's 6K Results

The College of Wooster's men's and women's cross country teams turned in matching sixth-place finishes at the North Coast Athletic Conference Championship on Saturday, which was hosted by Denison University at Infirmary Mound Park in Granville, Ohio.

The Fighting Scot men had two individuals earn all-conference honors (top-21), as Joe David crossed the finish line 12th (27:01.6) and Blake Pecoraro 17th (27:10.4) against 103 competitors. David was named Second-Team All-NCAC and Pecoraro garnered honorable mention.

David has climbed the conference ranks during his career, and made a significant leap this season, as the senior improved 56 spots from his 68th-place effort a year ago. Pecoraro, a sophomore, has been a key contributor for Wooster at NCAC's the last two years. He placed 28th as a freshman.

Two seniors were next for the Scots, as Karl Stemen ran to 35th in 28:30.7 and right behind him was William Wojtkiewicz in 39th (28:43.3). Rounding out Wooster's scorers were Albert Darling (28:50.9), Derrick Marshall (29:11.3), and newcomer Kent Nakamoto (29.20.8), in 41st, 47th, and 48th, respectively.

The women improved one spot from last year's seventh-place performance, and two Scots came up just shy of earning all-conference certificates. First was Lauren Buyan, with a 24th-place run in 25:06.6, which was three spots off an all-NCAC pace. Next was Kayla Zboran, who came through in 26th in 25:09.8, or five spots away. Zboran was a difference-maker last season as well, when she placed 22nd.

The next three Scot women to score each finished during a 28-second span, as Erin Andrews-Sharer clocked in at 25:30.5, for 34th-place, first-year Mackenzie Kellar took 38th in 25:53.5, and Rachelle Herrin was 41st in 25:58.3.

Also scoring for Wooster were first-year Gabriella Neubauer with a 47th-place run in 26:29.6 and Gabriella Gilfoy in 51st at 27:29.1

Next, the Scots host the Twilight 5K Challenge on Friday evening, and then the following week, they head to Wilmington, Ohio for the NCAA Div. III Great Lakes Regional Championships.