OAKWOOD, Ga —Led by Brandon Martin, the Augusta University men took the top three spots at the Peach Belt conference championship and the overall team title on Saturday, Oct. 21, at the University of North Georgia-Gainesville cross-country course.
It was the AU men's fifth straight PBC crown.
Martin ran a 24:37.5 over the 8-kilometer course, leading the entire race. Teammate Avery Jaynes, the junior from Savannah, finished second in 25:04.4. Jaynes had been named named Peach Belt Conference runner of the year the previous day, and he stayed in second throughout.
Senior Carlos Rodriguez sprinted hard at the end and was third for his best-ever performance in the PBC championship race. Rodriguez, the Grovetown High School product, ran the 8K in 25:14.6.
AU would finish with 22 points, compared to 34 for runner-up Flagler. Columbus State was third with 102 points.
The Jags' Patrick Motes took seventh place in 25:22.4, and teammate Thomas Rischar was ninth overall in 25.25.8.
Jaguar Coach Jacob Burgamy was named PBC Coach of the Year for the second straight season. Making all-conference for Augusta were Martin, Jaynes, Rodriguez, Motes, Rischar, Jordan Robertson, Matthew Moore and Andrew Todd.
The Jags will return to North Georgia two weeks from today for the NCAA Southeast Regionals on the same course. The top three teams from that championship will advance to the NCAA national championships.
written by Justin Gray
The Bell Ringer
