This past weekend, ETSU’s sophomore Jason Bowers (Parys, South Africa) performed exceptionally well in the Upstate Invitational in Spartanburg, South Carolina. Bowers not only won first place but also set a new school record for an 8k cross-country run with a time of 23:10.2. 

Bowers broke his own personal record by four seconds, also setting a new course record. This impressive performance foretells his preparation for the upcoming Southern Conference Championship at the end of the month.

Bowers is the first Buccaneer to win the SoCon Runner of the Month Honor since September 2018. In 2018, Ben Varghese took home the honor. 

Bowers snapped a run of six straight Furman runners receiving the accolade. Last season, ETSU’s top five runners all finished in the top 12 at the Ivey M. Redmon Sports Complex. ETSU totaled 26 points, and Myles Stoots (Mobile, Ala.) ended in sixth with a mark of 24:55.

The ETSU team finished fourth in the competition with 117 points. Coming in first place was Charleston Southern with 32 points, followed by UNC Asheville with 78 points, and Virginia Tech with 95 points. This finish demonstrates a strong showing, especially among the Southern Conference schools in the field.

Photo of Myles Stoots. (Contributed/ETSU Athletics)

Redshirt Senior Myles Stoots (Mobile, Ala.) and sophomore Xian Campbell (Chattanooga, Tenn.) both had noticeable finishes for ETSU. Stoots placed 12th overall in 24:47.7, while Campbell placed 21st overall in 25:03.7.

Photo of Xian Campbell. (Contributed/ETSU Athletics)

The Southern Conference Championship is scheduled for Friday, Oct. 27, at the Ivey M. Redmon Sports Complex in Kernersville, N.C.

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