TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - Bethune-Cookman Cross Country Coach Mike Hamer knew Monday's Southwestern Athletic Conference championship wasn't going to be determined by the first runners to cross the finish line.

It didn't mean there weren't anxious moments, though.
"Oh yeah, it was nerve racking," Hamer added. "But we had a good start and had been preaching all week that it was going to be a team effort, and everyone bought in."

The result was historic. Despite not having a runner in the top ten, the Wildcats enjoyed a relatively comfortable victory to claim both the first women's team title since the 2000 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference championship -- the Wildcats also won in 1995 -- and the school's first SWAC team championship Monday in Tallahassee.

Did balance make a difference? Consider:

B-CU's first runner in was Taisha Benjamin at 11^th with a 5K time of 20:37.6

Alcorn State runners were 1-2, and B-CU finished 18 points ahead – 90-108 in the team standings.

Grambling State had four runners in the top 15, and B-CU bested them also by a 90-108 team score count.

Amenda Saint-Louis (14^th, 21:15) and Nyidjah Ives (18^th, 21.26.3) came in the top 20. The difference makers were Kalyn Gibbs (23^rd, 22:00.2) and Tiana Small 24^th (22.00.7).

"We're a young team, but we were ready for the moment," Hamer said. "They knew what they needed to do."

Other B-CU teams: senior Kaliece Pinckney (40^th, 23:38.8) and Kaiel Kimble (42^nd, 23.46.1)
 
The men's team also turned in a strong performance, finishing fourth in the team standings and freshman Emmanuel Corral coming in seventh with an 8K time 26:28.0

Malcolm Brown finished 14^th (27:14.9), DaMauri Little 22^nd (27:53), Isaiah Johnson 37^th (29.04.4), Dequon Leonard King 46^th (30.21.3) and Ja'Quon King 48^th (31:03.2) rounded out the B-CU finishers

"The men went from a seventh-place finish to fourth," Hamer said. "It shows a lot about their work ethic and integrity."
 
"I feel blessed and privileged to have the opportunity to coach this program," said Hamer, who was recently named the Head Coach," I appreciate [former Head Coach] Donald Cooper giving me the opportunity to work with the students and [B-CU Athletic Director] Reggie Theus for letting me head the program."

Hamer was named 2022 SWAC Head Coach of the Year after the win.
   
Corral was named to the 2022 All-SWAC second team.
   
Follow Bethune-Cookman Cross Country on Twitter (@BCUXCTF) and Instagram (BCUXCTF) for all of the latest news and updates. For all Bethune-Cookman Athletics news, follow us on Twitter (@BCUAthletics), Instagram (@BCU_Athletics) and www.bcuathletics.com.