Cavaliers win 5th straight XC Championship; NGTC's Pirtle individual champ

ALBANY – The Darton State College Cross Country program swept the NJCAA Region 17 for the fifth year in a row, today.

In the men’s race, Cale Pirtle of North Georgia Technical College won individual honors as he ran a scorching 26:25 8K over the Cavalier Trails course. For most of the race he was battling shoulder-to-shoulder with Georgia Military’s Davin Melton, who finished only six seconds behind him.

Then the top five Cavaliers rolled in 3^rd through 7^th to score 25 points and secure another conference title.

Victor Chicas finished 3^rd in 26:45, Austin Steward 4^th (26:54), David Thornton 5^th (27:20), Ean Crawford 6^th (27:50) and Jelani Omari 7^th (28:18).

North Georgia Tech finished second with 53 points, and South Georgia College finished third with 95.

“We want to build a dynasty,” said Skiles, who has swept conference titles every season since taking over the program in 2010. “I’m pleased. There were a couple who didn’t run well, but it’s hard to get all of them to run well in one race.”

“That’s why you need depth,” he continued. “That’s what we got. That’s what wins.”

The Cavaliers will travel next to Fort Dodge, Iowa, for the NJCAA D-1 Cross Country National Championship at Lakeside Golf Course on Nov. 9.

Region 17 1^st team, men:

All Region 17 2^nd team, men:

Region 17 Men’s Coach of the Year:

Bruce Skiles

Region 17 Champion, men:

Cale Pirtle, North Georgia Technical College       (Cal Pirtle, below right)