CCU Fall Sports Spotlight: Women’s XC team climbing regional rankings

With three of the top runners in the entire Big South Conference back this season, the Coastal Carolina women’s cross country team figured to be a top contender in the league this year.

But beyond that, the Chanticleers are earning respect regionally as well after a strong start.

The Chants moved up to No. 10 in the Southeast Region rankings this week, as set by the U.S. Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches Association, becoming one of four mid-major programs in a top-10 otherwise filled by ACC and SEC teams.

“We haven’t finished that high in the region since 2006 so it definitely represents a lot of progress,” Coastal Carolina coach Jeff Jacobs said. “Last year we were 16th and that was our highest finish since ’06. This is the kind of level of achievement I would like to see this program at, being in the top 10 of the region.

“And in Division I cross country this is one of the strongest, deepest regions. There’s about 50 schools in the region and the Carolina and Virginia schools are typically very good in cross country, so we’re definitely making some noise there at the regional level.”

The Chants won their CCU Invitational last Friday as senior Letitia Saayman set the course record for the second straight season, besting her own mark by 17 seconds to finish the 5K race in 17 minutes, 0.92 seconds.

And not surprisingly, junior Kyla van Graan (18:01.79) and sophomore Aynslee van Graan (18:25.12) were next across the finish line as the South African trio claimed the top three spots.

In their first meet of the season, the Coastal Carolina women placed second at the Gamecock Invitational in Columbia as Saayman and Aynslee van Graan finished first and second, respectively, while the elder van Graan placed fifth.

“It’s amazing. Letitia has really gotten even to another higher level of fitness,” Jacobs said. “Just when you thought last year was amazing as Big South Runner of the Year and everything she did from cross country to indoor and outdoor track, but her fitness is [impressive]. I’m really excited to see her run against top level competition. She really hasn’t been challenged at all in a race.”

The Chants will get a good test when they compete in the Panorama Farms Invitational in Charlottesville, Va., on Sept. 26 against a field that includes a Virginia team ranked No. 2 in the Southeast region.

“I think we’ll really get to see where we’re at there,” Jacobs said. “Definitely proud of the ranking, but a long way to go until the region meet.”

Olympian joins program full-time

Coastal Carolina announced earlier this month that former Olympian Zola Pieterse had joined the track & field and cross country programs as a full-time assistant coach after serving as a volunteer assistant since 2008.

Pieterse (formerly Zola Budd) competed in two Olympics, representing Great Britain in 1984 and her native South Africa in 1992, and twice broke the world record in the women’s 5,000 meters.

“It’s very exciting and [we’re] really happy to have her with the group,” Chants head coach Jeff Jacobs said. “She’ll be a tremendous asset to any of the athletes on the team with her experience internationally, Olympic experience and she’s very passionate about the sport.

“I think it will really expand our international recruiting as well.”

The program had a spot come open when Jacquelyn Sgambati left to become the head cross country coach at Hawaii Pacific

Men’s soccer climbing

Coastal Carolina fans eager to see the freshly-minted No. 5-ranked men’s soccer team in the country will have to wait until Sept. 25 as the Chants open Big South play at home against Gardner-Webb.

In the meantime, Coastal Carolina is back on the road with a game at UAB on Monday while looking to add to its sterling 4-0-1 start.

In moving up to No. 5 this week in the National Soccer Coaches Association of America poll, the Chants matched the highest ranking in program history (also achieved in 2013).

The team is fifth in the NCAA in goals against average at 0.19 having given up just one goal in five games while junior goalkeeper Fernando Pina was named the Big South Defensive Player of the Week for the second time in three weeks.

Season openers

The Coastal Carolina men’s golf team opens its season Sunday at the three-day Rees Jones Collegiate in Daufuskie Island.

The women’s golf team opens Sunday at the Lady Paladin Invitational in Greenville.

The Chanticleer women’s tennis team, meanwhile, starts its fall season Friday at the three-day College of Charleston Invitational.

Volleyball in Iowa

The Coastal Carolina volleyball team is competing in the Iowa Tournament this weekend, taking on host Drake and Iowa.

The Chants are off to a 6-2 start and don’t have another home match until Oct. 2.

Women’s soccer to host N.C. State

The Coastal Carolina women’s soccer team will be looking to snap a two-game losing skid and even its record when it hosts N.C. State next Wednesday night.

The Chants (3-4) have taken consecutive one-goal losses on the road, 2-1 at Samford and 1-0 at Elon.

Freshman forward Kayla Christian leads the team with four goals and one assist while sophomore Daniella Famili has three goals and an assist.

This story was originally published September 16, 2015 at 6:42 PM with the headline "CCU Fall Sports Spotlight: Women’s XC team climbing regional rankings."