ATLANTA – Oglethorpe had a record-breaking season across the board, thanks to Head Coach Kari Elliott's return for her second season. Ashton Deriso and Zachary Benner highlighted the year's accomplishments by becoming the program's third and fourth runners to compete in the NCAA National Championships.

The Petrels opened the season with a runner-up finish at the Jacksonville State Invitational. Then they won the UNG Invitational with senior Deriso taking the individual title and Benner claiming runner-up. Oglethorpe also finished fourth at Rhodes and third at Belhaven. The Petrels finished the regular season with a 16th of 33 finish in SUNY Geneseo's Mike Woods Invitational.

Deriso brought home the program's first ever individual conference title as the team finished runner-up in the Southern Athletic Association Championship. Deriso also smashed the school and conference 8k record with a time of 24:46. Benner took third place and Beck James was seventh.

Oglethorpe finished 10th of 22 at the NCAA South Regionals, where Deriso and Benner qualified for nationals. Deriso finished ninth overall, recording the highest regional finish in program history. Benner was right behind him in 14th, James finished 56th, and Anthony Arredondo was 92nd.

Benner and Deriso became the third and fourth Petrels to ever compete at the NCAA National Championships. Deriso finished 49th to set the program's highest national finish, becoming the most successful runner in Oglethorpe's modern era. Benner nearly tied the previous highest finish, placing 217th.

Award Winners

• Deriso: SAA Runner of the Year, All-SAA first team, SAA Runner of the Week
• Benner: All-SAA first team
• James: All-SAA second team
• Kameron Holmes: All-SAA honorable mention
• Arredondo: SAA Runner of the Week
• Mason Hill: SAA All-Sportsmanship team

Individual Highlights

• Deriso set the school record for the 8k, conference record for 8k, as well as school records for highest regional and national finishes. He set a new PR/school record three times this season. He was the first in program history to earn a conference title, and third to qualify for and compete in the NCAA National Championships.
• Benner became the fourth person in program history to qualify for and compete in the NCAA National Championships. He set a new PR in the 5k and 8k.
• Holmes set a new record for the freshman 5k time, which was previously set by Benner. His highest finish was fourth at UNG, and he set a new 8k PR at the SAA championships where he finished 13th with a time of 26:22.
• James' highest finish was fifth place at the UNG Invitational. The graduate student set a new PR in the 5k during the season opener, recording a time of 15:39.
• Arredondo also set a 5k PR at Jacksonville State. His highest finish of the year was sixth at UNG.
• Ugohnofure Awarieta's highest finish was 24th at UNG. He also set an 8k PR at the SAA Championships.
• Demetrius Moore's highest finish was 30th at the UNG Invitational. He also set a PR in the 8k during the Mike Woods Invitational.

Season Notes

• Three freshmen made their collegiate debut: Hill, Holmes, and Demetrius Moore.
• Senior Coltraine Cheatham made his Oglethorpe cross-country debut.
• The team graduated four seniors: Arredondo, Cheatham, Deriso and James.
• Oglethorpe competed in SUNY Geneseo's Mike Woods Invitational, which features a much larger field than usual meets.
• Assistant coach Jamal Willis returned for his second season.
• Alumnae Elli Malancea returned as an assistant coach.

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