LAKELAND, Fla. – Tulsa remained atop the American Athletic Conference cross country landscape once more, sweeping the team titles for the second time this calendar year on Friday during the 2021 championship meet at Holloway Park.
 
The Tulsa men earned an eighth straight championship since joining The American in 2014, breaking the championship record score previously set by the Golden Hurricane with just 19 points to win the Men’s 8K team title. Scott Beattie claimed his first American individual championship after finishing as the runner-up in each of the past three races with a course-record time of 23:49.2 to power the Tulsa lineup. Peter Lynch was on his teammate’s heels as the race runner-up with a time of 23:54.0. Michael Power (24:03.5) and Shay McEvoy (24:04.2) were in fourth and fifth place, respectively, for the Golden Hurricane. Chris McLeod captured American Freshman of the Year honors with a seventh-place showing in 24:24.8. Malte Propp cross the line in 13th place with a time of 24:43.2 and Christian Baker rounded out the Tulsa scorers in 15th place with a time of 24:49.4.
 
Alec Sandusky rounded out the podium as the top finisher from Cincinnati, taking third place in 23:57.8. Tyler Wirth broke into the top-10 with a time of 24:34.3 for eighth place for the Bearcats.
 
Other all-conference finishers included Temple’s Joe Arthur (24:09.1, sixth overall), Wichita State’s Shadrack Chumba (24:35.9, ninth overall), Adam Moore (24:37.0, 10th overall), Bryce Merriman (24:39.5, 12th overall) and Clayton Duchatschek (24:45.8, 14th overall).
 
Tulsa brought home a third straight women’s 6K team championship (fifth overall) with a score of 48 points. Caroline Miller was the top individual finisher for the Golden Hurricane in fourth place with a time of 21:28.2. Chloe Hershenow (21:34.9) and Katharina Pesendorfer (21:36.9) crossed in order in sixth and seventh, respectively. Alice Newcombe (22:03.0, 15th overall), Chloe McEachran (22:10.9, 16th overall), Sara Scott (22:17.8, 20th overall) and Keely Jones (22:24.3, 21st overall) added point-scoring runs for Tulsa.
 
Wichita State’s Yazmine Wright brought home the fourth straight American gold medal for the Shockers, taking the championship with a time of 21:03.3. Wright’s win came after Winny Koskei swept the top spot in each of the previous three American cross country meets from 2018-20. Danielle Rinn crossed the line in 11th place with a time of 22:02.5 for the Shockers.
 
Kaitlyn Gearin from SMU became the second Mustang freshman to claim American runner-up in championship history, joining 2016 second-place finisher Hannah Miller. Gearin clocked a time of 21:18.7 for the silver medal. Maddie Hulcy also scored points for SMU in 14th place (22:02.6).
 
Temple’s Michelle Joyce added a fourth career all-conference scroll with her best career finish, taking third place with a time of 21:21.0. Cincinnati was led by Maddie Walker in fifth place (21:30.6), Ellie Leather in 10th place (22:02.2) and Carmela Henning in 12th place (22:02.5). Valerie Lastra from UCF checked in with an eighth-place finish in 21:39.9, and East Carolina’s Abby Yourkavitch placed 13th with a time of 22:02.5.
 
Tulsa assistant coach Taylor Gulley captured American Men’s Coach of the Year honors after leading the Golden Hurricane to victory. Head coach Steve Gulley earned American Women’s Coach of the Year accolades following the 6K win.
 
2021 American Athletic Conference Cross Country Championships
 
Men’s Team Standings

1. Tulsa – 19 pts
2. Wichita State – 63 pts
3. Cincinnati – 79 pts
4. Temple – 114 pts
5. Memphis – 150 pts
6. East Carolina – 172 pts
7. Houston – 184 pts
8. Tulane – 224 pts
9. South Florida – 236 pts

Women’s Team Standings

1. Tulsa – 48 pts
2. Cincinnati – 91 pts
3. Temple – 93 pts
4. SMU – 101 pts
5. East Carolina – 137 pts
6. Wichita State – 165 pts
7. UCF – 171 pts
8. Houston – 182 pts
9. Memphis – 214 pts
10. Tulane – 254 pts
11. South Florida – 303 pts

Men’s All-Conference

1. Scott Beattie, Tulsa – 23:49.2
2. Peter Lynch, Tulsa – 23:54.0
3. Alec Sandusky, Cincinnati – 23:57.8
4. Michael Power, Tulsa – 24:03.5
5. Shay McEvoy, Tulsa – 24:04.2
6. Joe Arthur, Temple – 24:09.1
7. Chris McLeod, Tulsa (Freshman of the Year) – 24:24.8
8. Tyler Wirth, Cincinnati – 24:34.3
9. Shadrack Chumba, Wichita State – 24:35.9
10. Adam Moore, Wichita State – 24:37.0
11. Zachary Wyatt, Memphis – 24:37.9
12. Bryce Merriman, Wichita State – 24:39.5
13. Malte Popp, Tulsa – 24:43.2
14. Clayton Duchatschek, Wichita State – 24:45.8
15. Christian Baker, Tulsa – 24:49.4

Women’s All-Conference

1. Yazmine Wright, Wichita State – 21:03.3
2. Kaitlyn Gearin, SMU (Freshman of the Year) – 21:18.7
3. Michelle Joyce, Temple – 21:21.0
4. Caroline Miller, Tulsa – 21:28.2
5. Maddie Walker, Cincinnati – 21:30.6
6. Chloe Hershenow, Tulsa – 21:34.9
7. Katharina Pesendorfer, Tulsa – 21:36.9
8. Valerie Lastra, UCF – 21:39.9
9. Therese Olshanski, Tulane – 21:42.1
10. Ellie Leather, Cincinnati – 22:02.2
11. Danielle Rinn, Wichita State – 22:02.5
12. Carmela Henning, Cincinnati – 22:02.5
13. Abby Yourkavitch, East Carolina – 22:02.5
14. Maddie Hulcy, SMU – 22:02.6
15. Alice Newcombe, Tulsa – 22:03.0