WINGATE, N.C. — The Catawba College women's cross country team placed five runners inside the top 15 to secure a runner-up finish at the 2026 South Atlantic Conference Cross Country Championships on Saturday at the Wingate Cross Country Course.
The Catawba Indians totaled 51 points in the women's 6K race, finishing second among 12 competing teams. Wingate claimed the conference championship with 26 points, while Lincoln Memorial rounded out the top three with 111.
Senior Hannah Caudill led the charge for Catawba, finishing sixth overall with a time of 21:18.22 to earn first team all-conference honors. Sophomore Mandi Pollard followed closely behind, crossing the finish line in eighth place at 21:26.94.
Sophomore Morgan Pollard continued the Catawba Indians' strong showing with an 11th-place finish in 21:36.86, narrowly missing the top 10. Junior Eden Barnwell finished just behind in 12th place with a time of 21:48.93. Senior Justine Sanchez completed Catawba's scoring five, placing 14th overall in 22:04.92 which put Mandi Pollard, Morgan Pollard, Barnwell and Sanchez all in the second team all-conference group.
Freshman Daya Ross added a 16th-place finish in 22:09.26, giving Catawba six runners among the top 16 finishers to add both a third team all-conference and all-freshman team accolade to her name. Junior Joanna Owczarz crossed the line in 28th place with a time of 22:55.22, while sophomore Anna Grace Peeler finished 68th in 25:11.76.
Catawba recorded a combined time of 1:48:15.87 among its top five finishers, averaging 21:39.18 per runner. The Catawba Indians finished 60 points ahead of third-place Lincoln Memorial to secure their second-place team finish.
Catawba Individual Results
