UWF Men's Cross Country Finishes in Fourth Place at NCAA South Regional

Argos Conclude Season as Eddie Pagan and Martinique Sykes Receive All-Region Honors

Eddie Pagan earned his second all-region finish (Photo by Bill Stockland)

TAMPA, Fla. – The University of West Florida men’s cross country team finished fourth overall at the NCAA South Regional hosted by the University of Tampa today. As only the top two teams advance to the NCAA Championships, the meet concludes the cross country season for the UWF men.

Alabama-Huntsville and Tampa will advance to the NCAA Championships. UAH finished first overall with 39 team points. Tampa finished with 64 points. Florida Southern came in third; while UWF finished in fourth place overall with 117 points. Florida Tech was the fifth place team. In all, 12 teams competed in the 10k event.

“It was a tough finish for the team,” noted head coach John Bergen. “They put in a lot of hard work in the summer and during the season to have a successful season. They raced very hard today but came up a little short.”

West Florida was led by senior Eddie Pagan (Stuart), who finished 14th overall with a time of 33:09. He was followed by junior Martinique Sykes (Orange Park), who at 33:15 finished in 15th place. The two Argonauts will receive all-region honors. The all-region team is composed of the top 25 runners from the meet. Pagan also received all-region honors in 2010.

UWF senior Jared Black (Tallahassee) finished third on the team and 26th overall with a time of 33:52. Dominique Sykes (Orange Park) crossed the finish line at 34:00, securing a 29th place finish. Freshman Chris Roach (Ponte Vedra) was the 33rd overall finisher and the fifth Argonaut to finish the race with a time of 34:22. UWF freshman Brandon Skeie (West Creek, N.J.) finished sixth for West Florida and 41st overall with a time of 34:35. Cody Haden (Navarre) was the 44th person to complete the 10k, finishing with a time of 34:57.

“They may be a little disappointed right now but they need to hold their heads up high,” Bergen continued. “They had a very, very respectable season, and coach Caleb (Carmichael) and I are very proud of the effort the men’s team put in this year.”

The UWF men conclude the 2011 season having won the MC Season Opener and the MC/Watson Ford Invitational. The Argonauts also had three second place finishes, including at the GSC Championships. Five UWF runners earned all Gulf South Conference honors.

For information on all UWF Athletics, visit www.GoArgos.com.

NCAA Men’s Cross Country South Regional Results

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