LYNCHBURG, Va. – Longwood freshman Casey Williams continued her breakout campaign by finishing as Longwood's top runner for the third straight race, clocking a personal-best 21:27.5 at the Big South Championship Saturday morning at Liberty University.
 
Just two weeks after setting a personal-best pace at the High Point VertCross Invitational, Williams broke that mark on the Big South's biggest stage, posting a 6:54.0 on the 5K course that is the best by a Longwood women's runner this season. She became Longwood's first women's runner to break the seven-minute-per-mile pace mark in 2017 and set her team's season-best 5K time in the process.
 
A product of Suffolk, Va., Williams is now on a streak of four consecutive personal-bests in her inaugural season. Her 51st-place finish Saturday was Longwood's highest by a freshman at the Big South Championship since joining he conference six years ago, while her time was the second fastest by a Longwood newcomer at the event and trailed only Gracie Piekarski's 20:39.0 at the 2013 conference championship.

Since Williams' debut as a Lancer at the JMU Invitational on Sept. 9, the 5-9 freshman has shaved 1:43 off her initial 5K time, culminating with Saturday's PR at the Big South Championship.
 
Williams placed 51st out of the 74-runner field to lead the Longwood women, followed by junior teammate Kasey Laign, who placed 68th with a 23:00.0, and sophomore Miranda Wilson, who placed 69th with a 23:07.3.
 
On the men's side, senior Leon Beard Jr. placed 35th in his final Big South Championship, breaking the 28-minute plateau with a team-best 27:39.4. That performance nearly matched his 31st-place finish in last year's Big South Championship and made him only the third runner in program history with multiple top-40 finishes at the Big South Championship, joining former teammates Robert Willis and Russell Reed.
 
Following Beard was freshman Jon Swartout, who placed 68th with a time of 30:57.5 on the 8K course, and John Bapties, who ran a 31:22.5 that earned him 71st-place.
 
While the 2017 Big South Championship marks the end of Longwood's conference season, the Lancers have two more meets ahead of them this fall. The first of those comes just six days from now at the Hokie Open on Nov. 3 in Blacksburg, Va., while the second is the NCAA Regional Meet the following Friday, Nov. 10, in Charlottesville, Va.
 
2017 Big South Championship
Oct. 28, 2017
Lynchburg, Va. (Liberty University Cross Country Course)
 
Men's Team Results
1) Campbell – 38
2) Liberty – 42
3) Charleston Southern – 86
4) UNC Asheville – 105
5) Radford – 107
6) High Point – 159
7) Winthrop – 211
8) Gardner-Webb – 242
9) Presbyterian – 244
10) Longwood – 277
 
Longwood Men's Individual Results (8K – 79 participants)
35. Leon Beard (27:39.4)
68. Jon Swartout (30:57.5)
71. John Bapties (31:22.5)
74. Ron Gyamfi (33:49.3)
75. Chrishon Dollard (33:50.8)
76. Jake Baker (34:49.4)
 
Women's Team Results
1) High Point – 29
2) Campbell – 75
3) Liberty – 80
4) UNC Asheville – 109
5) Radford – 137
6) Winthrop – 155
7) Charleston Southern – 159
8) Gardner-Webb – 207
9) Presbyterian – 236
10) Longwood – 297
 
Women's Individual Results (5K – 74 participants)
51. Casey Williams (21:27.5)
68. Kasey Laign (23:00.0)
69. Miranda Wilson (23:07.3)
71. Madison Winters (23:55.2)
74. Ashley Allen (30:33.4)
 
#GoWood