Myrtle Beach, S.C. - Radford's men's and women's cross country teams finished fifth and seventh at the 2003 Big South Conference Cross Country Championships Saturday in Myrtle Beach, S.C. The High Point men and Coastal Carolina women captured the Championship. The two squads also won their respective races in 2002.

RU seniors Goran Nava (Castello de Brianza, Italy) and Tim Dutton (Virginia Beach, Va.) earned all-confernce honors with third and seveth place finishes respectively. Nava also was named Scholar-Athlete of the Year.

The Panther men won the event with 45 points, followed by Liberty (69), Coastal Carolina (96), UNC Asheville (107), Radford (127), Winthrop (131), Virginia Military Institute (170), Birmingham-Southern (183) and Charleston Southern (273).

Terah Kipchiris of Coastal, the men’s Runner of the Year, also successfully defended his individual title, taking the victory in 25:05.00. Liberty’s Josiah Melly took second (25:28.84), followed by Radford’s Goran Nava (25:46.43), High Point’s Jeff Fairman (25:53.99), Coastal’s Nelson Oliveria (26:16.61), High Point’s Adrian Hill (26:23.76), Radford’s Tim Dutton (26:33.60), Winthrop’s Chris Batista (26:35.33), High Point’s Derek Nakluski (26:38.97) and Liberty’s Evan Falat (26:48.77). Those runners will make up the Big South’s All-Conference squad.

The Lady Chants posted an impressive 26 points in the women’s event, powered by a 1-2-3 finish at the top of the order. The UNC Asheville women’s team took second with 47 points, followed by High Point (76), Liberty (95), Winthrop (133), Birmingham-Southern (150), Radford (176), Charleston Southern (246) and Virginia Military Institute (255).

Coastal’s Anne Marie Moutsinga, who took the women’s Runner of the Year honor, won the race in 18:16.80, followed by teammates Daneja Grandovec (18:34.32) and Eileen Wicker (18:35.91). Jemissa Hess of High Point finished fourth (18:40.20), followed by UNC Asheville’s Loring Watkins (18:44.28) and Devon Nemire (18:45.38), Winthrop’s Stephanie Vangsnes (18:50.49), Coastal’s Kim Nemergut (18:56.90), UNC Asheville’s Tiffany Carberry (19:07.02) and High Point’s Melissa Caudill (19:15.23).

High Point’s Al Barnes and Coastal’s Alan Connie were named Coaches of the Year, while High Point’s Kyle Lounsbury and Coastal’s Grandovec were named Freshmen of the Year. UNC Asheville’s Micki Logue were also tabbed Scholar-Athlete of the Year.