HARDEEVILLE, S.C. -- SEU turned in an impressive performance at the Sun Conference Championship, finishing second overall in the men's 8-kilometer race held at Sargeant Jasper Park. The Fire compiled 64 points, placing just behind team champion Ave Maria (32) and ahead of SCAD Savannah (66) in a closely contested battle for the runner-up spot. The result was highlighted by three top-15 finishers and a tight scoring pack that kept SEU among the front half of the field from start to finish.
Jack Brooks continued his strong form with a third-place finish in 25:18.3, leading Southeastern's charge with a composed and steady race in the front group. Brooks held contact with the leaders through the final mile before securing his placement. He was followed by
Derek Robinson, who placed 12th overall (26:13.3), and
Spencer Louis, close behind in 13th (26:16.6), giving SEU three runners in the top 15 and valuable low points early in the team scoring.
Noah Joos crossed in 17th place (26:43.3) and
Felipe Ledesma finished 19th (26:51.8) to round out the Fire's scoring five. The group's consistency produced a team total time of 2:11:23 and an average of 26:16 per runner, with a spread of just 1:33 between the top five. Southeastern's depth was equally strong, with Kaleb Merlott (24th, 27:12.8) and
Billy Mueller (26th, 27:25.0) finishing as critical displacers to keep SEU's margin over SCAD intact.
From there,
Sage Nelson (28th, 27:26.5) and
Jordan Hierholzer (30th, 27:29.2) continued the Fire's run of consistent finishes through the middle of the field, giving SEU nine runners under 28 minutes and a top-seven total time of 3:06:01. The team's pack-running discipline and even pacing proved to be key in securing the second-place result.
Ave Maria captured the team title with five runners in the top 11, led by Donavan Mattson, who finished second overall in 25:16. SCAD Savannah's Max Heins claimed the individual championship with a winning time of 25:07.5, edging out Mattson by less than two seconds.
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