ASHEVILLE, N.C. – Longwood men's cross country ace runner Leon Beard Jr., and the women's team number one runner, Gracie Piekarski, each finished in the top 15 and set personal records to lead the Lancers at the UNC Asheville Cross Country Challenge Saturday morning at the Asheville Christian Academy.
 
Five men's runners and six women's runners competed for Longwood at the Big South championship preview event, located at the site of the 2016 Big South Championship. Against teams from six other Big South schools, Beard and Piekarski each set career-best times and placed 14th in their respective events, the best finish for each in 2016, to pace the men's and women's teams.
 
"Everyone had a personal record today and Leon and Gracie just missed out on top-10 finishes," said head coach Catherine Hanson.
 
In the men's 8K course Beard beat out 97 of the 111 participants from a number of schools, including Big South opponents Radford, UNC Asheville, High Point, Winthrop, Campbell, and Presbyterian. Beard's career-best 26:43.42 had the Chesterfield, Va., native finish narrowly behind a top-10 finish at 14.
 
Finishing behind Beard for Longwood was freshman William Verhappen, who finished 64th with a run at 28:14.41, his fourth consecutive second-place team finish to begin his career.
 
Piekarski, a native of South Plainfield, N.J., returned strong for Longwood after failing to finish at the Virginia Tech Alumni Invitational. The senior ran the women's 6K course in 19:33.04, placing her at 14th for her highest finish of the season. Piekarski raced past 87 other runners in the field of 101 to lead Longwood for a 10th time in her last 11 races dating back to last season.
 
For a fourth straight race freshman M.E. Lazorchak finished among the top two runners for Longwood with a time of 21:55.81 to place 65th. Lazorchak, who paced the Lancer women in Piekarski's absence, has finished first or second in each event at Longwood.
 
For a fourth straight meet freshmen Verhappen for the men's team and Lazorchak for the women's team finished near the front of the pack for Longwood. The two freshmen have crossed the finish line first or second among Longwood runners at each event in 2016.
 
"The freshmen women really stepped up," Hanson said. "Having [men's runner] William Verhappen finishing second for us as a freshman walk-on is huge."
 
For the men freshmen runners Verhappen, Alex Dembek, and Justin McFaul all finished under 30 minutes in the run. Dembek at 29:32.21 and McFaul at 29:38.09 finished at 89 and 91, respectively.
 
In the women's meet Lazorchak, a native of Leesburg, Va., led a group of three freshmen runners that all finished in less than 24 minutes. Madison Winters finished at 22:44.03 to place 80th and Miranda Wilson came in at 91 after running the 6K at 23:54.47.
 
"Overall I was not happy with our placements, so we have real work to do this next month," Hanson said.
 
Longwood will next compete at the High Point Vert Cross Country Invite in High Point, N.C., on October 14 before the Big South Championship is back in Asheville on October 28.
 
Longwood Men's Individual Results (8K, 111 participants)
14. Leon Beard Jr. (26:43.42)
64. William Verhappen (28:14.41)
83. Marc Mawyer (29:20.13)
89. Alex Dembek (29:32.21)
91. Justin McFaul (29:38.09)
 
Team Results
1. Mars Hill (26:29.54 – 55 points)
2. Radford (26:31.45 (59 points)
3. UNC Asheville (26:47.35 – 95 points)
4. High Point (26:56:98 – 111 points)
5. Western Carolina (26:56.98 – 113 points)
6. Winthrop (26:57 .83 – 114 points)
7. Lees-McRae (27:53.87 – 205 points)
8. Roanoke (28:09.43 – 260 points)
9. Brevard (28:57.62 – 261 points)
10. Campbell (28:32.66 – 262 points)
11. Longwood (28:42.46 – 270 points)
12. Presbyterian (29:27.87 – 298 points)
 
Longwood Women's Individual Results (6K, 101 participants)
14. Gracie Piekarski (19:33.04)
65. M.E. Lazorchak (21:55.81)
71. Erica Mawyer (22:16.49)
80. Madison Winters (22:44.03)
89. Anna Bultrowitcz (23:38.16)
91. Miranda Wilson (23:54.47)
 
Team Results
1. High Point (19:19.11 – 57 points)
2. Campbell (19:19.51 – 73 points)
3. Western Carolina (19:31.81 – 84 points)
4. Winthrop (19:42.28 – 95 points)
5. UNC Asheville (20:03.00 – 134 points)
6. Roanoke (20:03.84 – 139 points)
7. Radford (20:11.36 – 145 points)
8. Presbyterian (20:56.99 – 221 points)
9. Mars Hill (21:41.88 – 254 points)
10. Longwood (22:01.51 – 265 points)
11. Lees-McRae (23:02.56 – 328 points)
 
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