Lafond leads MOC to 2nd straight trip to NCAA D2 cross country national meet

By MOC Sports Information
Published in Sports on November 4, 2012 1:53 AM

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CHARLOTTE -- Freshman Dylan Lafond emerged one of four Mount Olive runners to break the 33-minute barrier, and helped the Trojans earn a second consecutive trip to the NCAA Division II men's cross country championships in two weeks at Joplin, Mo.

Lafond ran the 10-kilometer course in 32 minutes, 7.7 seconds, good enough for seventh overall. He was within 10 seconds of fourth place in the Southeast Regional meet that included 27 teams at McAlpine Park.

MOC finished runner-up to regional team champ Columbus State (Ga.) University, 38-42. CSU recorded three of the top-10 times.

Trojan freshman Aki Kitagawa ended up 11th in 32:17.4. Senior Ronnie Sturgill, a member of last year's national-qualifying team, took 12th in 32:19.3.

Another freshman, Mike Munoz gave the Trojans a third top-20 finisher, with a time of 32:48.6. Seven of the top 20 individual finishers in the meet were freshmen, including three MOC runners.

Also scoring for Mount Olive were Stephen Greco in 27th (33:02.2), Erasmo Ordonez in 35th (33:20.0) and Jamar Davis in 42nd (33:30.8). Ordonez and Davis ran in last year's national meet.

On the women's side, Trojan juniors Amber Thompson and Chelsea Long placed among the top 11. Thompson ran the 6k course in 23:08 and placed sixth overall, but just missed qualifying for the national championships.

Long was 11th in 23:23.4.

The Trojans took sixth overall in the team competition with 160. Scorers included Christina Jordan in 54th (24:40.4); Courtney Seifert in 71st (25:15.6); Emily Shaw in 74th (25:17.5); Megan Bucek in 117th (26:39.5); and Logan Shirley in 160th in (29:29.7).

Volleyball

MOUNT OLIVE -- Carly White saved three set points in the final set with two kills and a block, and Danielle Plante served her match-high fourth ace on match point as Mount Olive defeated in-state foe Pfeiffer University 25-23, 25-20, 26-24 inside Kornegay Arena on Saturday afternoon.

White led all players with 16 kills.

Senior setter Laura Vega, junior opposite-side hitter Ashlee Reuter, who will graduate in May after just three years, and senior Talita Rocha were recognized before the match. Vega recorded 32 assists. Reuter supplied three kills, five digs and a service ace. Rocha missed the match due to injury.

MOC concluded the year 9-19 overall and 5-11 against Conference Carolinas opposition.

Men's soccer

GAFFNEY, S.C. -- John Kwennah scored one goal and assisted on another goal, but Mount Olive College dropped a season-ending, 4-2 loss to Limestone (S.C.) College in semifinal-round play of the 2012 Conference Carolinas men's soccer tournament.

The Saints (12-5-1 overall) dominated possession and grabbed a 3-0 lead just 21 minutes into the match.

Kwennah scored his second goal of the season on an assist from senior Alex Rodriguez in the 52nd minute. Kwennah assisted Craig Allan in the 66th minute to make it 3-2.

Limestone scored again in the 82nd minute.

Goalies Nick Bernsdorf and Kyle Lavender each recorded four saves between the pipes for the Trojans, who concluded the year 6-9-4 overall.

Rodriguez played his final collegiate match along with fellow seniors Kelly Keaton, Ramon Gallardo, Josh Woodburn, Cort Harter and Muhammed Ceesay.