Jaguar men look to defend PBC title in cross-country
Jacob Poston (404) leads Augusta University as the Jaguars hope to repeat as PBC champions. (photo by David Troyer, special to the Bell Ringer)
By Justin Brosemer |
Sports writer
The Augusta Jaguars men’s and women’s cross-country teams hope to finish their postseason strong in the Peach Belt Conference Championship in Gainesville, Ga., on Saturday, Nov. 14. The race will be hosted by the University of North Georgia and will take place on its campus.
“We have been focused on this conference championship since Day One,” AU Coach Adam Ward said. “I can’t speak for other teams, but [at Augusta University] our mind is always on how we can put ourselves in the best position to win the postseason.”
The men’s 8-kilometer event will begin at 9:30 a.m., and the women’s 5-kilometer race will start at 10:30 a.m. Eleven programs will compete in the men’s race, as well as nine teams competing will run in the women’s meet. The venue is adhering to many different COVID-19 precautions and regulations including but not limited to: spectators not being allowed at the event, separated team areas, and mandatory COVID-19 tests for runners and coaches.
“The only three things we can control are our attitude, effort and preparation,” Coach Ward says in response to the PBC Championship’s novel coronavirus regulations. “Everything else is out of our hands, so it is better to instead focus on how we can be at our bests when we arrive.”
The men’s cross country teams looks to defend their championship and hope to acquire their third title in the last four years. In the three events Augusta competed in this season, the men’s team has finished in first once and second twice. Seniors Jacob Poston and Hunter Kimball look to achieve their fourth consecutive all-conference honor in the PBC Championship. The men’s cross-country team holds four of the top-10 spots in the 8K race in the PBC this year.
UNC Pembroke and Flagler figure to be the Jaguars’ closest challengers. UNCP junior Joshua Chepkesir will seek to become the first PBC runner in history to win the individual championship for a third straight year.
The women also should be in the running for the conference championship.
“The women are trying seize the opportunity this year and win their first championship,” Ward said. “Even in a weird year like 2020, we might be in one of our better positions to win so we have to remain focused on our ultimate goal.”
The women’s cross-country team hopes to get over the hump and win their first conference championship after second- or third-place place finishes in the last four years. However, what makes this year different is found within the women’s cross country team’s secret weapon, sophomore standout Mackenzie Taylor. In her first year as a runner, Taylor has won all three of her races that she has participated in thus far, shattering course and school records along the way. At the PBC Preview two weeks ago, Taylor ran a jaw-dropping 17:05 on the same course she’ll compete on during Saturday’s event. If she were to finish at the same time, she would hold the PBC championship record for the women’s 5K.
Flagler figures to be the team to beat on the women’s side. Augusta and North Georgia will be the Saints’ top competitors on Saturday.
Although there is no spectators, the PBC has put together an online experience so families and fans alike can take place remotely. The conference is planning to utilize a multi-camera and robust production crew to produce a livestream of the event. It can be viewed from the PBC Network app found on mobile devices or smart TVs.
Live timing updates can also be found on the app or the conference’s website at https://peachbeltconference.org/.
“More than anything, our men and women teams are looking to prove their ability to the city, conference and nation when we are at our best,” Ward said.
Contact Justin Brosemer at JBROSEMER@augusta.edu.
