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| Plexico was named Most Valuable Player for men's cross-country for the third consecutive time. |
Last fall Plexico was the top FMU runner in six of eight meets and he recorded five top-10 finishes. Plexico took home a victory at the Erskine College Invitational. On Oct. 4 Plexico ran the fastest time (25:47, Overton's/Pirate Invitational) by a Patriot runner in 10 years, and the 15th fastest in school history. Plexico was second in for FMU with a 19th place individual finish at the Peach Belt Conference Meet. The team finished fifth at the conference meet. Following conference Plexico placed 48th out of 107 runners at the NCAA D-II South Regional Meet, helping the team to a 13th place team finish.
During the 2004 track and field season Plexico won the 3,000-meter steeplechase at the South Carolina Championships, and was second in the event at both the Braves Track Classic and the Carolinas Intercollegiate Championship. Plexico led Francis Marion in points in the three meets along with competing in the 5,000-meters, placing third in both the S.C. Championships and the Carolinas Intercollegiate Championships. The Patriots finished fifth in the team standings at Carolina Intercollegiate Championships.
On the FMU's women's cross-country team sophomore Nicole Hoeppner (Mannheim, Germany) was presented the Most Valuable Player Award for women's cross country. She was FMU's top runner in all eight meets last fall, including a first-place win at the FMU Invitational last September. She was 18th at the PBC Championships, where the Patriots finished eighth in the team standings. Hoeppner posted four sub-20:00 times last fall, including a program-best time of 19:10 at the Overton's/Pirate Invitational Meet at East Carolina University.
For women's track and field at FMU junior Shante Merriweather (Batesburg-Leesville, S.C.) was presented the Most Valuable Player award. Merriweather, the team's leading scorer competed in the hammer, discus, and shot put. At the recent Carolinas Track and Field Championships, she won the hammer throw, placed seventh in the discus and 12th in the shot put, as the Patriot women finished six in the team standings.
FMU is a D-II member of the Peach Belt Conference and is coached by Mark Bluman.
The USC Spartanburg athletic department held its Annual Awards Banquet Tuesday night. The university honored 42 student-athletes, faculty, staff and loyal supporters.
Travis Smith (Six Mile/Daniel HS) was named Male Student-Athlete of the Year after leading the men's cross-country team this season with three individual titles. Smith own's the school's record in the 5,000-meter distance and has six career wins. Smith is a three-time member of the Peach Belt Presidential Honor Roll and earned Academic All-America honors last year. Smith was also named men's cross-country most valuable player. Westbrook Walsh (Spartanburg/Spartanburg HS) received the coaches award for men's cross-country.
Elizabeth Dunbar (Spartanburg/Spartanburg HS) was named women's cross-country performer at USCS and Crystal Caudill (Chapin/Chapin HS) received the coaches award.
USCS dropped its cross-country programs around April 5. The university immediately discontinued the programs and is reallocating the funds to reestablish the men's golf program, which will begin competition in 2005. Tim Gibbons, a two-year USCS letterman was the former head cross-country coach.
To read the full article on USCS Drops Cross Country Programs visit: https://www.milesplit.com/articles/2294.