Date Posted: 10/17/2007

MACON, Ga. - Few runners in the Atlantic Sun Conference can compare their 2007 campaign favorably to USC Upstate’s Emily Tangwar’s season. The freshman from Eldoret, Kenya turned in her fifth straight top-eight performance of the season, taking fourth at the Furman Invitational on Saturday. In an honor overdue, Tangwar won her first Runner of the Week award, the penultimate award before the Atlantic Sun Championship.

Tangwar, who owns a first-place finish, another fourth-, a seventh- and an eighth-place finish on her resumé, completed the 5K course in a time of 18:22, only eight seconds off of her season best in finishing fourth out of 177 competitors. Included in the field were teams from Miami, East Carolina, College of Charleston, Winthrop, Tennesse Tech, and Furman. Tangwar also outran all of her competitors from Atlantic Sun Conference schools UNF and ETSU. Her win for Runner of the Week marks the third consecutive week that a freshman has claimed the award. Kennesaw State’s Mackenzie Howe won the award in each of the previous two weeks.

Tangwar and USC Upstate along with the rest of the Atlantic Sun, with the exception of Mercer, will be taking this weekend off in preparation for the Atlantic Sun Championship. The meet will be contested in Nashville, Tenn. and hosted by Lipscomb on October 27.

The Atlantic Sun Conference is a 12-member league committed to Building Winners for Life, with a focus on academic and athletic integrity and a balance between the two for the student-athlete, and maintaining a high level of sportsmanship. Headquartered in Macon, Ga., the A-Sun encompasses six of the top eight media markets in the Southeast. The A-Sun consists of some of the most dynamic private and public institutions in the region: Belmont University, Campbell University, East Tennessee State University, Florida Gulf Coast University, Gardner-Webb University, Jacksonville University, Kennesaw State University, Lipscomb University, Mercer University, University of North Florida, University of South Carolina Upstate and Stetson University.

Other Top Performers

Vicki Currie, ETSU (So. - Dumfries, Scotland - Psychology) -- Led the pack of Buccaneer runners for the third consecutive meet; Placed 50th overall out of 177 runners and finished with a time of 19:52.

Amanda Davey, UNF (Sr. - Middleburg, Fla. - Criminal Justice) -- Finished in 11th out of 177 runners at Furman Invitational in a time of 18:37; Led the Lady Ospreys to a fifth place team finish.

Kristen Gibson, KSU (Fr. - Cumming, Ga. - Undeclared) -- Finished 1st at JSU Foothills Invitational; Completed the 3-mile course in 18:10 for her first collegiate win.

Kimberly Lyle, STET (Sr. - Okinawa, Japan - Business) -- Finished 29th at Hatter Invitational Hatter Invitational out of 158 women's runners with a time of 20:01

Related Links:
 • A-Sun Women's Cross Country