SC's Coor, Princeton's Rubio emerge top runners in final meet

By Ryan Hanchett
Published in Sports on October 18, 2012 1:49 PM

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SEVEN SPRINGS -- Nobody was happier to have all of his runners at the ready than Princeton head coach Mark McLamb.

After a sixth-place finish in the team standings last week, the Bulldogs boys finished first as a team in the Carolina 1-A Conference championship meet at Cliffs of the Neuse State Park on Wednesday.

Three of the Bulldogs' top runners also play for the school's soccer team, and thus do not run on nights when soccer and cross country have conflicts on the schedule.

"What a difference it makes when we have all of our boys running," McLamb said. "I don't know what this means as far as regionals, but I am very happy with our performance today."

Princeton finished first with 36 team points. Spring Creek (61), Goldsboro (69), Rosewood (71) and North Duplin (111) rounded out the team standings.

Spring Creek's Allen Coor won the race as an individual in 18 minutes and 33 seconds.

Coor along with the other finishers in the top eight spots were named to the Carolina 1-A All-Conference team. Goldsboro's Victor Prezbindowski finished second. Princeton's Will Toler ran third and Rosewood's Dalton Farmer crossed the line fourth.

Princeton's Quinn Dougherty took fifth. Spring Creek's Gage Abbott ran sixth. The Princeton duo of Matthew Edwards and Lane Dougherty rounded out the all-conference list.

"Allen has done a great job all year and today he ran a really good race," Spring Creek head coach Michael Jones said. "Victor was right with him, so I think that helped push him during the second lap."

On the girls' side, Princeton took home team honors with 24 points. Rosewood finished second with 31 points.

Abigiail Rubio won the meet for the Bulldogs in 23:01. Teammates Althea Belagio (fourth), Amber Johnson (fifth) and Megan Evans (eighth) each made the all-conference team.

Charleigh Smith ran second overall for Rosewood. Ashley Duran (sixth) and Jordan Dubose (seventh) each were named all-conference.

Goldsboro's Grayson Collins finished third overall and rounded out the all-conference team.

"The big difference for our girls today was our fourth and fifth runner," McLamb said. "Megan Evans and Kathryn Hewitt each ran their best times of the season today and they really helped us improve our team score."

The 1-A Mideast Regional meet is Oct. 27 at Wake Med Soccer Park.