By: Vennise Shelton
Staff Writer
On a weekend when many of Wingate’s men’s cross-country runners
took a break from racing, head coach Pol Domenech allowed his
younger generation to shine during the Queen City Invite in Charlotte
Sept. 15.
The third-ranked Bulldogs took full advantage, emerging as the top
NCAA Division 2 team on the Larry McAfee Course at McAlpine Creek
Park.
Twelve Wingate athletes competed in the 8K, led by senior Brent
Surratt, who captured 14th place with his time of 25:53.9. Behind
Surratt, the Bulldogs had three runners among the top 25 and five in the
top 30. Senior Pablo Martinez was two spots behind Surratt, taking 16th
place with a time of 25:55.9.
On the team leaderboard, Wingate claimed fourth place among the 14
schools scoring points, finishing behind two D1 schools in third-place
UNC Greensboro and meet winner/host Queens University.
“Running this course was like a walk in the park,” Martinez said after
the race. “We often train on this course on Sundays for long runs, so
competing on this course was fun. The team was there supporting us
from the beginning of the race to the end.”
Sophomores Tiago De Oliveira and Felix Snider set personal records
during the event. De Oliveira shaved four minutes off of his career best
with a time of 26:41.2, while Snider trimmed three minutes off his top
time with a run of 27:56.2.
“We did a workout before the race, but the plan was to run it like a sub-
tempo and just gradually get faster as the race continues,” De Oliveira
said. “Ending the Queens race with a personal record felt great. I am
ready to see how the rest of the team does when we race at Lehigh
University in Pennsylvania [for the Paul Short Run].”
Last year, Wingate was one of only six Division 2 programs that
competed in the 46-team event in Bethlehem, Pa., and the Bulldogs
surprised the meet’s 40 Division teams by finishing seventh. The Paul Short Run, the nation’s largest intercollegiate cross-country race, is Wingate’s biggest regular-season event and usually determines which Bulldogs will represent the school at the South Atlantic Conference and NCAA championships.
“It’s a great course, very scenic, and my favorite one,” Surratt said of the
historic Goodman Campus Cross Country Course, which has hosted
three NCAA Championship meets. “After the race begins, the course
gets very narrow on the first curve and you’re running only three-wide
surrounded by cornfields on both sides. It’s always quite an experience.”
Wingate Triangle 