Senior Kylie Krauss and junior Patrick Hurley raced to women’s and men’s overall individual titles through their performances in the competition’s four events: short track, cross country, dual slalom and downhill. Senior Ashlee Robison, a former national champion, won titles in the women’s dual slalom and downhill, finishing ahead of all female racers from divisions I and II.

The conference team title gives Warren Wilson coach Art Shuster even more confidence in looking toward the mountain bike nationals Oct. 26-28 in Banner Elk, noting that "we have more depth than we’ve ever had." The Owls have finished second in the Division II national team competition in each of the past four years.

Two teams from Tennessee, Cumberland University and East Tennessee State University, finished second and third in the Division II conference championships. National powerhouse Lees-McRae College took the Division I conference title, ahead of second-place University of Florida.

Cross Country Team fairs well in Blue Ridge Open 

Friday in Boone, NC
This weekend was busy for the XC Team.  Friday afternoon we traveled to Appalachian State to compete in the Blue Ridge Open meet in Boone.  This was a qualifying race where times determined the entry. Three men: Chas Beiderman, Kevin Lane and Tal Gold competed for the men. Chelsea Gay for the Women. 
This was certainly the largest and most competitive field of runners our team has ever faced. There were Olympic hopefuls, and a handful of competitive NCAA Division I and II teams.
Although a bit daunting, the WWC XC team members did extremely well. All set personal best for the season and all three men set personal best for their 8k distance.
Overall this was a great showing and a statement in terms of our ability to perform well at Nationals in November.

8K Men's Results:
Chas Beiderman     28:34 (5:45 min/mile pace)
Kevin Lane        29:15 (5:53 min/mile pace)
Tal Gold        29:20 (5:54 min/mile pace)

5K Women's Results:
Chelsea Gay         22:20 (7:12 min/mile pace)


DuPont Trail Marathon – Sunday in Brevard, NC
On Sunday, the Cross Country team traveled to Brevard to cheer on the relay team in the DuPont Marathon. Representing the owls were four members of our women's team: Becca Wood, Lilly Friend, Sara Fagan and Emily Brigham. Each did a 6.55mile section of the course for a cumulative time. 
The team was excited to not only be part of the relay, but also to give some time for service. Chas Beiderman, Kevin Lane, Lilly Friend, Sarah Fagan and Emily Brigham lead the children’s warm-up and one mile trail run.  Kids flocked to warm and fuzzy Chas which put him in charge of the stretches and warm up runs. Kevin took the lead with two 11 year olds who sustained a 6:30 min/ mile pace and gave Kevin a good warm up.
We were also happy to be there to cheer on one of our own, Anne Lunblad, as she won the women's marathon and set a new course record at DuPont.

Mayhem, Gill Netting, and Disney with the Men's Soccer Game

The men traveled to Brevard College, Saturday – Brevard has a sign next to ours in the airport –woodsy, small, loving college with a stream running through it.  Travelers are torn I’m sure.
If they’d gone from the airport to the soccer match, they would have seen a strong owl team against a slightly stronger Division II scholarship team, with a viscous homecoming crowd (equal in size to the WWC students and staff who traveled in support) and a great need for some lessons from the WWC athletic department.
First, the lessons – offer one less scholarship and get someone to run your clock, chase balls and do stats at games.
Now the game – The Brevard Tornados got on the board first with help from a sloppy net.  A ball came near the back post, and got cleared by Dan McKenzie.  The cleared ball hit Keeper Brett Buffington. Dan went to clear it again, but his cleat got gill netted, leaving a ball wide open two inches from the line. Cows flew through the air, tents fell over, and the tornados scored.
At the half, the score was 0-1 and the fans, realizing we were not to be easily pushed over, were heating up.  The Owls went back in with excellent play, but in minute 55, they lose a player, not to a red card – which reflects a nasty intentional foul, but to a second yellow card – which to me should mean getting your mouth washed out with soap, not being ejected for heavens sake.  The tornados drop down in the Owl goal again, leaving the ball in the net and a couple of trailers overturned.  
But, it’s not over yet sports fans. In the 85th minute, with our students wondering whether to yell for their team or attack the home comers, the Owls score, assisted in some metaphysical way by a sibling in the stands standing up to the insulting storm fans who’ve been calling our boys, our strong hard working boys, “donkeys” the whole game.  
Now the most famous recent donkey was from the Shrek movies, and Donkey’s a pretty great character really-- good friend, noble stead, honest and open.  I don’t see why that upset so many folks, but being Presbyterians – not a Disney school – donkey was perhaps interpreted in the more Biblical way, so Luke Bernard put the jawbone of an ass on the Tornadoes and scored (with that afore mentioned metaphysical assist by his peeps in the stands) leaving the final score – Bad guys 2, Owls 1.  

The men play again TODAY at 4:00 against Crown College.
(will the metaphors never cease?)

Women's Soccer retires six seniors and ties the Panthers

The Hooter Pitch retired 6 seniors today – six glorious girls who came to school early for pre-season four years ago, and have not missed a pre-season, a service trip, or a chance to laugh out loud for 52 games. 

They, along with admiring underclassmen, met the Ferrum Panthers from the fine state of Virginia.  The feral cats were as fast, fit and determined as any team we’ve played.  If we’d played them earlier in the season, no doubt one of their 8 attempts on Eho’s goals would have gone in.  But our defense matched the black panthers, built like brick outhouses, and with legs equal in speed and strength to race horses. 

They didn’t know, though, when they came down the field that calm and mild rasta speed racer Janarelli would laugh at their wheels, or that injured Sarah Gascan could run one legged like she does and still keep up with them.  They weren’t expecting Bang Bang Bangasser to leave the sweeping position, run up to the stopper position, and fire the ball towards their little cat box. 

Where the Owls usually play a nice game of control and technique, they were one- touching every ball, and racing the next ten yards to beat the black cats to it.  No matter where we put the ball, a slick feline would match our run—even Serena Shah, LoLo and Elle Winderman (the human LW) up front saw kitty kitty between the Owl and the ball, not just the ball and an open net. 

The first goal of the game came midway through the first half on a corner taken by Amanda bo Banda Williams. As she pulled her foot back for the kick, Amanda was told by a tiny voice on the other side of the field, to target Heather the Wall’s head.  And like a great game of jump or dive, Bo Banda changed her target mid swing, hit Heather’s head, Heather flicked it back to Christy Barron swinging her dreds for all the keepers to fear, and something, a hair tie, a natty dred, or maybe the hair between her unplucked eyebrows, hit the ball hard enough to caress the back of the net.

At the half it was 1 for the night flying owls, and 0 for the Panthers.

The senior women were honored on the greens at half time--with roses and car decals, parents, fans waving pictures of them with sayings on the back like: “Rasta fast,” for Janarelli, “Gascan” for you know who, “But Sir” for Shannon who sometimes argues with the refs, “Good gorilla” on Witt’s face, “Mandy Can” for lightning legs Williams, and “White ball” for Christy the school teacher with a southern drawl and a northern attitude.

The rest of the game was survival, sprints up top, sprints in the back, attack, counter attack, stop their attack.  Downright exhausting, sweaty, panty, grueling stuff.

Eho Holzer made 8 difficult saves.  The Panther goal that tied the game was off a free kick, lobbed high in the air and over her head between the post and her gloves. 

And once again, for the fourth time this season, the peace loving, everybody wins, inclusive and always generous Lady Hooters decided to play overtime just for fun.  No points.  Just fun.  Then everyone can go home a winner.  Sweet of em isn’t it?

Now we all head off to Isle of Palms, SC to do some hammerin for habitat over fall break.