MEMPHIS, Tenn. (November 2, 2024) – Behind four finishers in the top-10, Berry cruised to its fourth straight SAA men’s cross country championship on Saturday. Ashton Deriso gave Oglethorpe its first SAA individual champion and smashed the conference record by 20 seconds to earn Runner of the Year honors.
 
The Vikings scored 36 points to get by runner up Oglethorpe (45) and third place Centre (49).

CHAMPIONSHIP HOST SITE | COMPLETE RESULTS | PHOTO GALLERY
 
Deriso stopped the clock at 24:46.25, bettering the previous SAA championship mark of 25:06 set by Centre’s John Kieffer in 2012. Tucker Wright of Berry was runner-up in 24:50 and Stormy Petrel Zachary Benner was third in 24:58. The trio posted the top three fastest times ever ran at the SAA championship.
 
Ethan Smith of Berry was fourth in 25:30 and Centre’s Mitchel Meier took fifth with a time of 25:33.  
 
T Harris of Berry earned Newcomer of the Year honors, finishing 11^th in a time of 26:01. Vikings leader Paul Deaton was voted the SAA Coach of the year.
 

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SAA Runner of the Year: Ashton Deriso, Oglethorpe
SAA Newcomer of the Year: T Harris, Berry
SAA Coach of the Year: Paul Deaton, Berry
 
First Team All-SAA
1               Ashton Deriso, Oglethorpe, 24:46.3
2               Tucker Wright Berry, 24:50.1
3               Zachary Benner, Oglethorpe, 24:58.6
4               Ethan Smith, Berry      25:30.0
5               Mitchel Meier, Centre, 25:33.1
 
Second Team All-SAA
6               Reeve VanDemark, Centre, 25:48.6
7               Beck James, Oglethorpe, 25:58.0
8               James Schroeder, Centre, 25:59.5
9               Troy Blackwood, Berry, 26:00.7
10            Peter Ivester, Berry, 26:01.3
 
All-SAA Honorable Mention
11            T Harris, Berry, 26:01.7
12            Duke Wilson, Centre, 26:08.7
13            Kameron Holmes, Oglethorpe, 26:22.5
14            Joey Kowalczewski, Berry, 26:27.5
15            Austin Rhea, Rhodes , 26:28.415