Charleston Southern's Sarah McCartney Named 2023 Big South Women's Cross Country Runner of the Year
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (www.BigSouthSports.com) – Charleston Southern senior
Sarah McCartney (Lawrenceville, Ga.) has been named the 2023 Big South Conference Women’s Cross Country Runner of the Year, it was announced today by the Conference office.
McCartney recorded the highest-ever finish by a CSU runner at a NCAA Southeast Regional meet earlier this month, as she crossed the line in 32nd-place with a personal-best time of 20:47.4 in the 6K -- nearly a minute off her previous best at that distance that was set at the Furman Invitational in September. She was the Big South’s top finisher among the 246 overall entrants in the Regional, and was the 10th-fastest runner from a non-Power 5 conference. At the Big South Championships in October, McCartney was the individual runner-up in the Women’s 5K with a personal-best time of 16:54.5 for the highest placing by a CSU runner at the Conference Championship since 1989. She earned her second career All-Conference medal, and helped the Buccaneers to a second-place team finish. McCartney recorded two additional Top 5 finishes this past season: fourth at the Buccaneer Open (15:43.7 in the 4K) and fifth at the Upstate Invitational (17:18.7 in the 5K).