Laker freshman Berkhedle amongst prime
contenders in the men’s race
MORROW,
Ga. - November 1, 2007 – After sitting
out last season’s NCAA Division
II South Regional Championships, the Clayton State Laker men’s cross
country team returns to this year’s meet in Huntsville, Ala. The
Lakers, unranked in the region hope to make a statement on Saturday
following their second place finish in the Peach Belt Conference
nearly two weeks ago.
Meanwhile, freshman
Chelsea Ellis will be the lone Clayton State women’s runner
competing in Saturday’s championship event at Sharon Johnston Park
in New Market, Ala.
"We’re going out to
prove we are a competitive team within the South Region," said Laker
head coach Mike Mead. "This bunch has come a long way this season
and I look for solid efforts on Saturday. If we bring our best this
Saturday, we can finish among the top seven in the region."
Leading the way for
Clayton State is freshman sensation Walid Berkhedle, who won the
individual Peach Belt Conference title on Oct. 20 to become the
second Laker in three seasons to be selected PBC "Runner of the
Year." The Scarborough, Ont., native was also selected PBC "Freshman
of the Year" as the fastest freshman in the meet, and helped the
Lakers win the Georgia Collegiate Championships for the first time
earlier this season while recording the fourth quickest 8K in Laker
history with a 25:32 effort in Memphis back on Oct. 6.
"Walid has been
impressive during his first season of collegiate cross country,"
Mead said. "He can put an exclamation point on his first season with
a Top 5 finish in the region meet that will qualify him for
nationals."
Berkhedle will be
leading the Lakers up against some tough region competition which
will find the field racing the 10K distance. Mead looks for Harding
and host school Alabama-Huntsville to battle for the men’s region
team title. Two weeks ago, Alabama-Huntsville won the Gulf South
Conference team title by beating Harding for the first time ever.
"There is a little bit
of a difference racing a 10K versus an 8K," said Mead. "You have to
be a tad conservative at the start, save a little during the first
half of the race and then be ready to go the last half."
Berkhedle will be likely
followed by junior teammate Anthony Aguilar of Glendale, Ariz., who
has been a consistent number two runner all season for the Lakers.
At the Peach Belt meet, Aguilar finished fifth to earn All-PBC
honors and ran his fastest 8K of the season, a 27:07. Also earning
All-PBC honors for Clayton State two weeks ago was Joey Chino, the
Peach Belt’s second-fastest freshman in the meet. The Eudora, Kan.
native finished seventh overall in a personal-best time of 27:12 for
8K - a surprise finish considering Chino was coming off an injury he
experienced at the Memphis meet.
Rounding out the Lakers
for Saturday’s region meet appearance are Au Nguyen, a junior from
Mesa, Ariz., Jarrid Casimir, a freshman from Auburn, Ga., and Jeremy
Adkins, a freshman from McDonough, Ga. Nguyen also turned in his
best finish of the season at the Peach Belt meet with a 12
