Freshmen Duo Earn All-South Region Accolades
11/15/2008 12:00:00 AM
Nov. 15, 2008
MARYVILLE, Tenn. - The NCAA South Region Championships were run Saturday morning at the Lambert Acres Golf Club in Knoxville, Miss. The Alabama women's team competed on the 6,000 meter course in the meet hosted the University of Tennessee.
Freshmen Sara Vaughn and Kelsey Johnson did not let down as they once again led the Crimson Tide. Alabama finished eighth of 23 teams in the meet.
Vaughn was the first of the two to cross the finish line in seventh place, but Johnson was not far behind in 12th as they finished with times of 21:09.38 and 21:16.52, respectively.
Vaughn and Johnson mark the first time two or more athletes from Alabama have made the All-South Region Team in the same meet since 1999 when three athletes were named to the team.
The top 30 runners are selected to the All-South Region Team.
Vaughn finished as the third individual not on a qualifying team, therefore solidifying a trip to the NCAA Championships next Monday, Nov. 24 in Terre Haute, Ind. She is the first national qualifier for Alabama since Julia Hicks qualified in 2006.
Johnson, unfortunately, finished out of the top four individuals that qualify by exactly one second. However, she has a chance to be one of the two wild card spots that the NCAA grants for the NCAA Championship. In order for her to attain one of the two spots, she will need to be within the top two finishers, by place, out of all the other regions around the country.
